A minibus that was carrying truck drivers en route to the Eurotunnel shuttle service crashed into a stationary freight train at the loading platform in Coquelles, just outside Calais, at 19:27 local time. The bus hit the departing train, which had already been loaded, and caused the driver and one passenger to be taken to the hospital in a helicopter.
Authorities reported that 18 other passengers were injured, none of which were life‑threatening. The incident prompted a brief halt to freight and Eurostar operations, but services were largely resumed once emergency crews cleared the injuries.
Sub‑prefect Agathe Cury said investigators have begun probing the cause. Earlier, two trains were parked on either side of the platform – a freight train awaiting loading and a train that had already been loaded and was departing.
The incident is the first of its kind on an Eurotunnel loading platform. While the bus was upright, the impact caused injuries, according to the official’s statement. Eurostar confirmed the accident was separate from its regular services and said all Eurostar trains between London and continental destinations would continue as scheduled.
The Eurotunnel operates an underground rail link between Folkestone in Kent, England, and Coquelles on the French side, carrying Eurostar passenger trains, freight services, and the Le Shuttle vehicle shuttle.
