§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the number of incidents involving Channel Tunnel trains colliding with obstacles on the track and the cause of each incident in (i) 1995–96 and (ii) 1996–97. [5678]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonIt is the responsibility of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority to ensure the safe operation of the Channel Tunnel. To assist in its task the Authority receives reports on incidents and accidents from the operator—Eurotunnel.
During the periods 1995–96 and 1996–97 only one report was received involving an obstacle on the track. Details of this incident are given in paragraphs 70–72 of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority Annual Report for 1995–96.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the areas of concern expressed by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority over the proposals from Eurotunnel regarding the immobilisation of coaches in single deck shuttles as referred to in paragraph 50 of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority Annual Report 1995–96. [5675]
§ Ms JacksonThe principal concern of the Safety Authority was to ensure that coaches were immobilised during travel on single deck Tourist Shuttles. Eurotunnel's proposal for the use of chocks, in addition to the application of the coach parking brake, was accepted by the Safety Authority following tests carried out by Eurotunnel and witnessed by the Safety Authority on 1 June 1995 and a special meeting of the Safety Authority to consider this issue on 7 June 1995.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the number and cause of incidents involving drivers of channel tunnel trains passing closed markers or signals at danger in (i) 1995–96 and (ii) 1996–97. [5677]
§ Ms JacksonDuring the period 1995–96 there were seven incident reports concerning drivers passing closed markers. Details of these and the way in which the Safety Authority dealt with these are given in paragraphs 67–69 of the Safety Authority Annual Report for 1995–96.
Nine further incidents were reported during 1996–97 and will be included in the Safety Authority Annual Report for that period.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the number of incidents which occurred in(a) 1995–96 and (b) 1996–97 where coaches carried through the channel tunnel have rolled into the fire barrier at the front of a wagon as referred to in paragraph 56 of the channel tunnel safety authority report 1995–96. [5676]
§ Ms JacksonThe Safety Authority's Annual Report for 1995–96 gives details in paragraph 56 of two incidents which occurred during the two month period immediately56W following the decision to accept Eurotunnel's proposal to cease chocking coaches on single deck tourist shuttles. In one of these incidents the coach rolled into the fire barrier.
No other incidents have been reported since Eurotunnel resumed the chocking of coaches.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the dates of emergency exercises undertaken in the channel tunnel during 1996–97. [5687]
§ Ms JacksonThere were three emergency exercises in the Channel Tunnel during this period.
TABLEX III was a table-top exercise held on 9 May. 1996 in Folkestone. The exercise scenario was of a fire in a heavy goods vehicle on board an HGV shuttle travelling from the UK to France.
BINAT 8 was a full binational emergency exercise which took place during the night of 9 and 10 November 1996. The scenario was of an accidental explosion in a single deck tourist shuttle, followed by a fire.
There was also a Eurostar evacuation exercise staged to support Eurotunnel's submission to restart Eurostar and Tourist shuttle services following the fire in the tunnel on 18 November 1996.
A report on each of these exercises will be included in the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority Annual Report for 1996–97.