The Channel Tunnel: Building the World's Longest Undersea Link

[@TheB1M]

Skip the waitlist and invest in blue-chip art for the very first time by signing up for Masterworks - www.masterworks.art/theb1m

[@TheNewSchmoo]

Scamtastic oppurtunity to join the Ponzi scheme from hell.

[@mcfishyfirst253]

#NatureIsDead because humans murdered it for stuff like this like this replaces nature. This is a death machine of nature. This is what killed nature humans and we don’t give a crap that we’re doing it we only see oh events in human human kind.

[@HexaSquirrel]

Still peddling scamworks?

[@baconmaster5892]

Scamworks

[@captainpoptarts]

Naw

[@alexdavis5766]

My dad worked on this project. He speaks a lot about the social impact of the construction. So many works on shifts gave a boost to companies. Like nightclubs and bars that had longer licenses than was normal then, even 24 hour at times for people coming off night shifts to have a drink. Same for cafes and restaurants. Apparently Dover police bought dozens of new vans as they imagined they would be dealing with lots of anti social behaviour from suddenly having all these workers descending on the area, but they were never used. Dad was health and safety, so involved with a lot of this side of planning. I find it so fascinating.

[@91djdj]

Thank you for the nice story :)

[@gammatt2513]

And then after dinner all of the tunnel workers tag-teamed your mum @@Trippenzoid

[@AXELVISSERS]

​@@Trippenzoid No, you're life is boring.

[@PracticalEngineeringChannel]

Haha great video Fred!

[@TheB1M]

Haha! MONTHS we had this planned in for. Great minds eh...?

[@PracticalEngineeringChannel]

@@TheB1M lol same here. Exactly. The similarities are cracking me up. Really fun to see your take on it.

[@franciscoandreatta5803]

This is so funny. I love both of your channels, both of your teaching ways. Shalom

[@justin2772]

I watched both right away! I'm sure your channels have a lot of overlap. Great work both!

[@vsznry]

i concluded you have the same MGMT lol @@PracticalEngineeringChannel

[@GeekyMedia]

The channel tunnel is comfortably one the great construction projects accomplished. Two nations that were at odds for so long came together to create something for useful and meaningful. Brilliant 🇬🇧🇫🇷

[@MrNotorius007]

Don’t forget the concorde. Britain and France may be at odds most times but when they link up it’s legendary

[@JK-wn3cc]

The fact it was drilled from both ends and met perfectly is just mind boggling. I cant even fathom the skill that must have taken in terms of surveying and engineering

[@mryan4452]

Just dig straight and you'll eventually meet at the same point in the middle 😉

[@superspies32]

It's absolutely not! Multiple errors and conditions will make both side missed each other completely. At this length and size just 1 degree missed without any checks can make entire project a massive failure.

[@JK-wn3cc]

@@superspies32 that was my point

[@superspies32]

I mean I reply to @myran4452

[@mryan4452]

@@superspies32 just cut to the same degree and it'll be fine no worries don't cut using different degrees 😉

[@Bryzerse]

Always funny when two KZbinrs release videos on the exact same subject simultaneously.

[@TheB1M]

Great minds think alike! Grady is a legend.

[@PlaaTable]

@@TheB1M cut the crap bro

[@zenthous9568]

Acting like you know shit lmao​@@PlaaTable

[@user-op8fg3ny3j]

@@PlaaTable ?

[@Bryzerse]

​@@TheB1M Absolutely!

[@simonevans7559]

I worked on the tunnel at 21 years old my company at the time (Lee beesley) was terminating the fibre optic links from the uk to France. I worked 12 hour shifts 6 days 3 off then 6 nights a month at a time for a year... you had a few options of transport inside the tunnel which were the "man-riders" which used the service tunnel on a smaller gauge track or the main tracks but these were very sporadic. We had lifesavers issued on our entry to the tunnel which were a charcoal breathing device which always made me chuckle as they gave you about 45 mins of survivable filtered air but are useless if your 2 hours walk away from daylight😂 (still got mine) I had to walk out a few times as the trains were missed which was a wonderful uphill into wind (as the uk pumped the dirty air to france) mission with all your kit.

[@pauldarbishire7226]

I was 1 of 4 TBM operators on the Marine Service tunnel. I had the honour of excavating the 1st metre in French territory on the 12th of June 1990 and was also 8th through the breakthrough hole on the 1st December 1990. I had 40+ years in tunneling on 4 continents and 43 countries but the Channel is the 1 I am most proud of and I am so pleased that it is used by so many people and that it is profitable. There are several factual errors in this piece.

[@holbroak]

@pauldarbishire7226 Please, enlighten us!

[@pauldarbishire7226]

@@holbroak Try Buddhism or Vipassana meditation. 🙏🙏🙏

[@thomaspreudhomme9443]

What are the errors?

[@CosmicTeapot]

Man really just dropped his entire resume, threw shade at the video, refused to elaborate and left.

[@pauldarbishire7226]

@@CosmicTeapot I take it you are an adult, do some research and find out. It wasn't my resume, it was a qualification.

[@ralfbrouwers5585]

Did you and @practical engineering do this video together or just happen to upload exactly the same subject 1 day apart😂

[@TheLiamster]

I was just about to comment this

[@TheB1M]

Great minds think alike! We had long-planned to release this today, honestly!

[@JS-pb6gb]

Maybe we live in a simulation

[@kolrhcp]

It's coming up on the 30 year anniversary of the tunnel opening, so it's a good time to make a video about it.

[@ConstantChaos1]

Meanwhile about an hour ago I got the short abt the chunnel so I genuinely thought "you know what I kinda want to look up a video about the chunnel" and then I went to make some croutons plant a few seeds for an expirament and have a cig, then I get back on and he released it... what a wonderful use of time releases to build suspense (and by coming 2nd you get to ride off the increased topic interaction, being first nets you a better proportion of subs but 2nd gives better reach if that makes any sense) it might just be a me thing but I love to see anything done well even if it's just an upload schedule lol

[@markleon411]

I remember thinking at the time that this might be a hoax because there was very little mentioned in the media here in Australia about it. Then I couldn't believe this was such a non story - this was a huge thing. Such an amazing feat. It showed what was possible. All of these current tunnel projects owe a lot to these pioneers. Not the least feat was the political cooperation.

[@DylanLandro]

I'm so glad I had the chance to take the Eurostar. What a neat experience, It's so comfortable, faster security and best of all you end up in the Center of the city.

[@Roulden]

My uncle was a welder helping build the equipment. I believed he worked on the drills. He spoke highly of the whole project.

[@gregvassilakos]

Bravo! As with all such projects, there is endless whining about schedule slippages and cost overruns during the construction phase, but all that is forgotten once the project is completed and its value can be appreciated by the general public.

[@jonevansauthor]

Yup and this one made us an absolute fortune. I can't remember the exact figure but something like 40% or more of our freight to and form the continent goes through it and that's only because we were too cheap to build more tunnels.

[@teryd5672n]

The UK always moans about infrastructure because cost and schedule creep upwards. But the key is the benefits relative to cost and projects like this churn out ever increasing benefits for decades. HS2 would no doubt do the same but the focus is always on cost escalation. Problem we have in the UK is the cost of the planning phase made worse now with all the legal costs, net zero, biodiversity, social value requirements etc., once requirements are frozen, we can deliver to cost and schedule as well as anyone.

[@ce1834]

A second crossing would be great imo - one of the most iconic engineering marvels - even now, you get on a high speed train city centre to centre up to 300km/h on other sections, or drive your car onto a train!

[@chrisgironde6669]

Where abouts do you think ? From SW U.K. eg Plymouth and over or purhaps Ramsgate to Ostend ?

[@jonevansauthor]

A fully high speed line purely for freight would be worth it. For passenger rail I'd like to see Wales to Ireland, Portsmouth to Isle of Wight, Cardiff to the Southwest and other locations like that including some major islands. Plus major cities like Birmingham need their own Underground.

[@SeverityOne]

@@jonevansauthor You don't need high speed for freight. But it would be a tall order getting such a link profitable. I'd hazard a guess that most freight trains run through the Chanel Tunnel at night, when there are no passenger trains. There is also the issue that rail transport in Britain lags behind the continent. Now, such a freight tunnel might increase rail freight in Britain; I couldn't say. However, it also needs to connect to the European rail network, presumably somewhere in France. The big rail freight corridors in that general area are from Antwerp and from Rotterdam towards Germany and central/eastern Europe. It's not a direct route, and those rail corridors are already quite full. Long story short, it would require an investment of tens of billions, to achieve... what, exactly? So ships can unload in Antwerp or Rotterdam, and then take the cargo by rail to Britain?

[@JK-wn3cc]

You do know that you drive your car onto the trains already to use this tunnel?

[@markputnam6371]

I remember this so well. Been through the tunnel so many times on the car train which is so easy, drive on/drive off and into Europe.

[@fintan3563]

I took the chunnel from London to Paris and back one time about 25 years ago. It was a great experience!

[@RubenLightfoot]

Great video but one small note - At its lowest point, it is 75 metres below the *sea bed* and 115 metres below *sea level*.

[@TheRailwayDrone]

I've been through this tunnel multiple times, in fact, I just took a trip to Amsterdam from London two weeks ago. It makes me sad we can't do anything like this in America (the new Frederick Douglass tunnel in Baltimore is supposed to take like 6 or 7 years to build and it's only about a mile long).

[@geesehoward700]

i like the way the UK government didnt connect the HS1 directly onto the HS2 to make sure no one would use it and then just to make sure they ruined it they took some of the money from the project and allocated it for building roads.

[@leonpaelinck]

I dislike it!

[@MLG_POTATO]

​@@leonpaelinckI think it was sarcasm

[@geesehoward700]

@@MLG_POTATOsorry, forgot the /s. whilst im sure the current government has done something right im just not sure what it is or what is could be.

[@MLG_POTATO]

@@geesehoward700 You like the fact they ruined it? 🤔

[@geesehoward700]

@@MLG_POTATOno

[@Mr.Eternal966]

Mate thanks for this video, i even learnt about some projects in my city (Melb Aus) that didn't even know they were under construction, as a fan of City Skylines and SimCity and project manager your content shaped my mind in very positive ways keep up the good work.

[@stevengalloway8052]

A remarkable engineering feat that is now taken for granted these days, with even more fantastic engineering tunnel projects having been built since then. Still, it's considered amazing to me... 😏

[@thomask.6014]

please do not advertise for investing in art

[@JK-wn3cc]

Why not? Although I must admit, that's got to be the most upper-class sponsor I've ever seen in a video😂

[@andrewmaje]

Thank you B1M for this

[@brandodurham]

Amazing! The span of brilliance and idiocy of humans is just incredible

[@beakz]

Yay, two Channel Tunnel videos today! Practical Engineering and B1M :)

[@B.D.F.]

Anniversaries can do that. Happy 30th, Channel Tunnel!

[@DjM1k4]

Incredible what was done in only 6 years. I have the feeling today a project like this would need 15 years at least, 30 years if you are in Germany…😅

[@BigBigBigJeff]

B1M 🤝 Practical Engineering

[@shawnwlee]

Love the historical video. So many amazing feats of modern engineering with great stories out there.

[@benpollard498]

hoping one day you get another sponsor that is not a messed up art 'investment' scheme

[@ralphbow3]

I don't like the sneaky way ads are part of the main thing

[@bjw4859]

You'd have to admit, that has set the bar pretty high for any future tunnels, well done to all involved.

[@KINGVONFRM063]

Nothing better than a b1m video in a snowy wednesday

[@southcalder]

The Channel Tunnel is up there with Concorde as one of the greatest achievements of the UK (along with France) in the 20th Century. I use it everytime I use surface routes to France, whether that be Eurostar or by car and never fail to be impressed.

[@nathanngumi8467]

A historic endeavour and achievement, a real triumph of humanity!

[@AAvfx]

Wow, that's what I call an upload, worth watching in full. thanks

[@tylervideos8081]

Would’ve loved to see videos from the 90s showing everyone’s reaction to it opening! Still a great video though!

[@privatier6817]

UK is in Europe!

[@SuperSupermanX1999]

A truly incredible bit of engineering, which makes it all the more frustrating that we seemingly can't build a much simpler trainline between London, Birmingham and Manchester.

[@ohasis8331]

Politics and funding.

[@bjorn_moren]

Would have been interesting to see the layout of the driving lanes and rail tracks in the tunnels.

[@paullangford8179]

The Seikan Tunnel between Honshu and Hokkaido exceeded the technical parameters of the Channel Tunnel: the underwater length for the channel is longer than that for the Seikan, but it was mostly tunnelled through the clay marl. The Seikan went through all kinds of rock, encompassing a greater length, and going 250 m below sea level.

[@EudaemoniusMarkII]

Another commercial brought you by a 30 year old project and stitched together stock footage. Great job.

[@sivanandkashyap5893]

When it comes to the combination of human imagination and construction the limits can go astronomical and yet still make so much sense! This is truly a marvel of engineering.

[@pauldarbishire7226]

It was not a huge engineering feat but it was a triumph of logistical organisation.

[@NawDawgTheRazor]

Was a privilege to go through this marvel last summer on my first trip to Europe.

[@direnius]

Beautifully crafted mini-documentary as usual. Hats of! Are you also planning a similar video about the Marmaray Tunnel connecting Europe to Asia?

[@Richardincancale]

The original trains were amazingly complicated as they had to support the 25kV AC overhead lines in France (at 16 MW output), the 3000 V DC system in Belgium (at 8 MW output) and the 750 V DC third rail system in the UK where they were limited to less than 4 MW. As the trains were very long and heavy the power to weight ratio was very poor on the UK network and I well recall the local commuter trains overtaking it on the way in to Waterloo. The later high speed link to Saint Pancras luckily adopted the French 25 KV AC system.

[@chrisoddy8744]

Well, it wasn't just French - BR had been using 25kV AC overhead as their standard mode of electrification since the 1960s. It's just South-East England had previously been electrified with the 750V DC third rail...

[@joshm6944]

that shot is sick 4:50

[@TheCloakedTiger]

Bucket list item for me is to travel through the “Chunnel” / Channel Tunnel. :)

[@kineticdeath]

Practical Engineering and B1M covering the channel tunnel. Cant complain, who doesnt love railway stuff?

[@hamishpaterson2413]

Another brilliant docu from The B1M! 👏

[@therealnogues93]

Gotta say your segue to your sponsors is always pretty smooth 😊👊🏽

[@TheLiamster]

I’d love to see a rail or road connection between Scotland and England to Northern Ireland

[@MLG_POTATO]

Simon Whistler did a video on a bridge from Northern Ireland to Scotland a month or two back. I don't remember if he said it or it was from a professional but I think it was deemed too expensive and not worthwhile, part of the issue was after ww2 the UK dumped lots of unused ammunition and/or explosives in the sea . Itd be nice to see happen though when it does become feasible.

[@JK-wn3cc]

I'm sure it'll happen one day. Also, boris was really keen for it but it was at a time when it was cool to shoot down every single thing he said, so it never got out of the starting blocks in terms of support.

[@mpaulm]

The most practical tourist attraction in Europe.

[@electro_sykes]

I wish HS2 was designed to through run with HS1 and Eurostar.

[@JK-wn3cc]

Would never happen. HS 1 and 2 are southern railways, for southern people and will forever remain confined to the south of England. The thinking behind them is far too insular to consider a link to anywhere outside of that region

[@electro_sykes]

@@JK-wn3cc ah yes the eurostar was meant to connect the europe mainland to the UK, or more specifically, to London. everyone else, get fucked. classic

[@JK-wn3cc]

@@electro_sykes as long as London and the south east are OK then that's all that seems to matter

[@WakoJacKooo]

More like this please b1m

[@johnturner4400]

So B1M and PracticalEngineeringChannel started work at opposite sides of the pond and met in the middle!

[@biglebowski3486]

Its a shame Brexit happened, this tunel is a prime example how european countries need to cooperate.

[@kieran8564]

Brexit don't affect the tunel, plus france and britan aren't on good terms since they just let boats full of people cross the channel even though we pay them millions to stop them 😂

[@nvll-xzi]

yeah, it changed europe for ... a while. It's incredible engineering, but I can't believe the current clusterfuck wasn't mentioned.

[@JK-wn3cc]

Brexit is irrelevant to this and to be honest you're clutching at straws bringing it up. The video even mentioned how the tunnel is the busiest it's ever been and with record revenue. I swear remainers have it in their head that brexit voters wanted to fill this tunnel in and replace all maps just showing Britain and no existence of mainland europe. The tunnel has always made sense. A good relationship with France is also in both countries best interests. Stop thinking brexit is purely based on xenophobia against each individual european country

[@Thepriest39]

My neighbor worked on the Chunnel. Hydraulics specialist for the TBM's. Robbins company south of Seattle. He said it was a long hard job. 14-16 hours days including getting to the job site. I haven't has the chance to go in the tunnel. I want to one day.

[@charliebramley]

we take engineering like this for granted. I forget it's the longest undersea tunnel

[@ZakhadWOW]

perhaps at the moment.. I know the tunnel between Honshu and Hokkaido will be longer.. assuming it is completed. Then you have the non-bored version (Immersed) of which Fehmarn Belt project will blow all others away. First elements being complted now, and the channel for placing them is bing dredged. It took 2-3 years just to get the worksite/harbor prepared.. and Ive been atching it on live cameras since the pandemic. Insane transformation of the coast

[@technologyhobby]

Legend has it that some of the TBM's were permanently buried at the end of their holes, uneconomical to remove them. I'm not sure why.

[@JK-wn3cc]

I heard the ones from a particular direction where drilled off to one side and embedded themselves into the rockbed whilst the ones from the other direction did the final breakthrough and then were dismantled

[@williamkacensky4796]

Cool Bob. Thanks.

[@DKS007]

Seikan Tunnel opened in 1988 , 53 km long

[@dennis2376]

Thank you.

[@CatherineTalbot-w3i]

Please do a video on the proposed new high-rise in Oklahoma City. If completed, it will be the tallest building in the US.

[@RR-bc6wy]

The fact that they already have tunnel boring machines in the 80s is impressive

[@BboyCorrosive]

Well, not really, The moon landings were 25 years earlier....

[@DynamicalisBlue]

Uhhh. Did you ever think how the London Underground was dug?

[@roger5059]

​@@DynamicalisBlueold parts of the london underground were not drilled with a boring machine, but instead constructed using the cut-and-cover method, digging out trenches to build the tunnels in before filling up the rest of the trench with dirt again. The London Underground was also constructed long before the 1980s.

[@jonevansauthor]

@@DynamicalisBlue pickaxes, shovels. The first bit opened in 1863.

[@mcspikesky]

Is it really making a tunnel if you dig it out then cover it up after? You end up with a tunnel but it sure seems like cheating.

[@terrencemilton5088]

Man...I miss construction. What it looks like in the beginning. Compared to what it looks like when it's finished.

[@jascollinscork]

I heard the TBM never left.... they were just buried into the side of tunnel and left there? Is there many under water tunnels like in the world? I don't think so?

[@Pr3stag3]

I have noticed a lot of the videos you make that there is no clear distinction about when an advert starts I am pretty sure you're meant to inform your viewers when an advert starts. I think the way you integrate your advert for masterworks is extremely sneaky and misleading.

[@adamdudley165]

This came up on my feed as I'm waiting in the train itself, crazy

[@agushll74]

I was 16 when both sides met. I remember it. It was in all the news worldwide.

[@Samuel_J1]

Cool video, though what was the platform you mentioned at 7:15 used for?

[@Gfynbcyiokbg8710]

Have you ever heard of this magical thing called google?

[@Trouttiger]

Thank you for another masterpiece

[@ChocolateFrog]

The car trains are knackered these days. Dont even need to press the buttons to open the internal doors.

[@MilesBellas]

The UK could create an escooter tunnel network linking Liverpool to Manchester to Southport.

[@paulekstorm-hughes1894]

Fantastic video, as was Practical Engineering's. What a lovely coincidence. One note, a pet peeve of mine at 4:44, that flag is upside down.... Surely there is stock footage of union flags the right way up?

[@ironsword7]

I always thought you could drive your car through the channel tunnel until a few years ago when I wanted to see the tunnel on Google streetview and realised the tunnel was only for trains....

[@Burbery777]

For every one to know that this is not the longest tumnel build under the sea.the longest tunnel builed under the sea in in Japan where 2 islands are conected and its called Seikan tunel and in 33.5 miles long or 53.9km long and it build in year 1985

[@seangt]

i cannot believe how sneakily you work in a masterworks sponsorship in every video it's WILD lmao

[@jryn007]

You should cover the Seikan Tunnel also. Anyone know why did they build two tunnels for two train tracks instead of one tunnel as in Seikan Tunnel in Japan? reserved for more tracks in the future?

[@korakys]

I hope you cover Rogfast tunnel soon, the world's deepest undersea tunnel.

[@cosminmorga1331]

Thanks for the video

[@ChevronQ]

haha 4:42 shots fired 😌 great video! and so funny too you and practical engineering both had planned a video on the chunnel for months 😁

[@nickashton3584]

went on it last year wonderful

[@joelhoeve]

1:09 No clue who drew this map, but it's not remotely close to how the network looks like

[@B.D.F.]

Considering how many lines go over water I don’t think this map was drawn for accuracy.

[@alcom1313]

15 billion dollars in the US would be enough just to cover a train station parking lot.

[@ravenshireful]

What an advert. Impressive.

[@dewiz9596]

Practical Engineering’s Grady Hillhouse had an excellent video on the details just yesterday.

[@someonesomebody9952]

4:26 Tangent aside, what 6 other structures that would be considered as wonders of the modern world? I felt like there are so many of them and to narrow it down to just 6 would be difficult.

[@tachy1801]

I don't remember the exact list, but the delta works are part of it.

[@tonychan8558]

Am I the only person who is thinking, 'What are the other six wonders of the modern world?'

[@isbestlizard]

Wow. Remember when the UK could build something, on time, to the planned budget, without faults?

[@isbestlizard]

Probably because the French were helping.

[@sdcraig]

You clearly didn't watch the video

[@manavsharma8077]

Excellent

[@lewisc955]

Lets be honest, we all used to think that you'd be able to see the fish swimming around outside the window.

[@Matticitt]

We're really lacking visionary project like this in Europe these days. We've become stagnant and it's jsut sad.

[@goutvols103]

Question for anyone who worked on the Channel Tunnel - why were there some many boring machines (5 from France and 6 from UK) when there were only a total of three (3) lines? Thanks in advance.

[@Gfynbcyiokbg8710]

Have you ever heard of google?

[@MrStark-up6fi]

To speed up construction. 2 TBMs per tunnel. Both would meet up at the center. The extra TBMs were used due to wear or damage

[@yeeehaar]

It's an arguable statement. The Seikan Tunnel between Honshu and Hokkaido is the world's longest undersea tunnel by overall length. The Channel Tunnel is shorter, nut has a longer undersea segment.

[@deleted-something]

When the old enemies work together

[@tomtho1]

Now just to follow through with the original plan and connect it to Stratford International as well.

[@DannyBoy443]

Umm, I love this channel and this is pretty amazing. But, am I the only one who thought that the geographical water gap between these nations was small enough that 2 hours was already possible? Guess now.

[@mundocuadro]

It's about 1.5 to 2 hours on a ferry from Dover to Calais, plus the overland legs to London and Paris so about 7 hours in total. Now you can travel by Eurostar from London to Paris in 2 hours.

[@Ryan.williams]

Not sure the deepest point of the tunnel is 75m below sea level. Considering the English Channel is 174m deep… Did you mean 75m below the sea bed?

[@dpgranger]

The profits leave many wondering where they're going to? BUY SOME FINE ART. Back to the video.

[@BenPyman]

I'm still wondering where those profits are going. I'd be more okay with the transition if he actually answered the question.

[@MCoconut97]

Take a shot every time Fred says "tunnel"