Eurotunnel evokes Dunkirk spirit to help British evacuation before coronavirus quarantine

Eurotunnel said it “pulled out all the stops” to carry almost 30% more leisure traffic as British tourists returned home to beat the weekend deadline for the government’s new coronavirus quarantine. The UK added France, Monaco, Malta, the Netherlands, Turks and Caicos and Aruba to its quarantine list, with effect from 4am on Saturday, meaning arrivals into the UK now have to quarantine for 14 days on their return or face a fine. As holidaymakers rushed home to avoid the restrictions, the Channel Tunnel service added 22 extra departures to the peak summer timetable, carrying more than 30,000 passengers. Eurotunnel carried 11,600 vehicles back in time on the 35-minute under-water crossing, with extra staff brought on shift to help. Yann Leriche, CEO of Getlink said: “This was a fantastic team effort. Our customers needed us to deliver and our staff stood up to the challenge calmly and professionally. “With this level of performance, at an already peak travel moment, Eurotunnel has shown, once again, that it is the customers’ favourite way to cross the Channel.”