Brussels, 25/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - Noting the opinion of 21 March by the European Railway Agency (ERA) on the security of trains using the Channel Tunnel (see EUROPE 10342), the French secretary of state for transport, Thierry Mariani, said that security studies would be necessary if models of trains other than those currently used in the tunnel are to be authorised. “It is important to remember that the opinion of the European agency does not recommend any motorisation system in particular but calls for security objectives to be guaranteed”, Mariani states in a press release published on Thursday 24 March, going on to say: “On the basis of this opinion, it is solely on the basis of prior security studies that requests for authorisation will be examined”.
Paris above all notes that, by giving its opinion, ERA, which is in favour of allowing trains with a different motorisation system and shorter than Eurostar trains to use the tunnel, has not carried out any security analysis. “This is therefore not an opinion on railway technique but on the legal modalities for applying European safety standards to an infrastructure built before their adoption”, the Ministry of Transport press release states, before continuing to point out that the agency itself recommends in its opinion a series of more detailed studies on, inter alia, the scenario for evacuation in the case of fire in the tunnel. This work will allow an assessment to be made of the minimum required length of trains to allow passengers to evacuate in safety, the press release says. Ministerial sources say the ERA opinion in no way prejudges the authorisation of circulation in the tunnel of wagons built by Siemens and that the British company, Eurostar, which is jointly responsible with France for tunnel management, plans to buy. The Franco-British intergovernmental commission (IGC) should meet in coming days to follow up the opinion given by the European agency. (A.By./transl.jl)