Nineteen injured in minibus collision with train at French Channel Tunnel terminal

A minibus carrying lorry drivers collided with a train at the French Channel Tunnel terminal near Calais on October 15, 2026, injuring 19 people. Two of those injured, including the minibus driver, were critically hurt and flown to the University Hospital in Lille, according to the Guardian and TF1 Info.¹²³

Hospital treatment

Authorities said none of the injuries was considered life-threatening. Agathe Cury, the underprefect for the Calais arrondissement, said: “There is no risk to anyone’s life.” The Guardian reported that the injured comprised the driver and 18 passengers. No deaths had been reported.¹²³

According to the Guardian, the remaining 17 casualties received treatment at hospitals across five locations: Helfaut, Calais, Boulogne, Montreuil-sur-Mer and Dunkirk. TF1 Info described those patients as being in the less urgent emergency category and reported that the minibus driver was an employee of Eurotunnel.¹²

Cause under investigation

The collision occurred on a loading platform at the tunnel entrance. AFP, reporting on the incident at Coquelles, said the minibus had left its lane for reasons that remained undetermined before striking a Le Shuttle train. The Guardian said the lorry drivers were being taken to a shuttle service through the tunnel.¹²⁴

Accounts differed in their descriptions of the train's movement. The Guardian and TF1 Info described a stationary freight train, while accounts attributed to officials referred to a shuttle departing. The cause of the collision remained unknown, and TF1 Info reported that a judicial investigation had been opened.¹²⁴

AFP reported that an alert was raised at 19:27 and the emergency response was activated at 19:36. Eurotunnel initially deployed resources at the scene, with the operation subsequently brought under the authority of the Pas-de-Calais prefect. Cury told TF1 Info that the minibus had not overturned.¹²⁴

Passenger shuttle interruption

Le Shuttle passenger traffic was suspended for an hour and a half, according to AFP. TF1 Info reported that passenger services were stopped to allow emergency work and helicopter evacuations, before returning to normal. Associated Press also reported a brief disruption to cross-Channel traffic.²³⁴

Eurostar said its services to and from London would operate as scheduled. AFP reported that Eurostar and freight traffic were unaffected. TF1 Info initially reported a freight interruption in both directions between France and England, but later said neither freight nor Eurostar services had been interrupted.¹²⁴