Brussels, 22/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Rail Agency (ERA) has opened up the possibility of competition between rail companies for using the Channel Tunnel. In an opinion on the safety of passenger trains using the Channel Tunnel, as published on Monday 21 March, the ERA considers that, from a safety point of view, there are no obstacles to prevent passenger trains of a kind different to that of the Eurostar trains from using the tunnel (trains longer than 375 metres with electric equipment and engines located at the rear). The opinion of ERA puts an end to the debate, which flared up last autumn, on safety standards for the tunnel. Eurostar has revealed it would like high speed trains by Siemens, while the German carrier Deutsche Bahn announced it would prefer to use ICE trains in the tunnel. The former, unlike Eurostar trains, have electric engines under the wagons, and ICE trains do not reach the prescribed length. The Franco-British intergovernmental commission (IGC) responsible for tunnel safety has addressed a request to ERA, which is responsible for rail safety at European level, for an impact assessment to be carried out on allowing such trains to use the tunnel, especially from the point of view of fire risk and evacuation procedures. According to ERA, from a technical point of view nothing warrants IGC exclusion of trains using electric power as long as they comply with European safety standards. As far as the length of the trains is concerned, ERA considers it is up to the rail companies that wish to use the tunnel (and not the IGC) to prepare the appropriate evacuation plans. The opinion given by ERA may be consulted at: http: //http://www.era.europa.eu/Pages/Home.aspx (A.By./transl.jl)