From Tuesday, 4.30 pm, Eurostar Le Shuttle trains started running between the United Kingdom and France. Thirty MyFerryLink employees set fire to three stacks of tyres at around 300 metres from the French entrance to the Channel Tunnel, and blocked the railway with concrete slabs. Due to the delays, the Eurostar had to cancel 20 trains, according to Eurostar spokeswoman Julie Kerremans.
Belgium closes roads
Karin Komeine of the federal service for West Flanders told Transport-Online that only 200 trucks at a time are allowed to go to the United Kingdom, while 2000 are waiting now.
Due to the delays, the Flemish police closed all the ramps onto the E40 between Jabbeke and the French border. In Veurne, all trucks heading to Calais and Dunkirk are stacked under police escort on the emergency lane and the right hand lane. Passenger cars and buses have to try to reach France through secondary roads, and water has been handed out to truck drivers who are waiting in line.
No deliveries at all
Peter Davis of Davis Worldwide says that various transporters have cancelled today's deliveries. "Because of this, I have missed out on 47 palettes of cargo, but we are still getting by for now," the Briton says.
Reason strikes
Danish DFDS Seaways, which took over the two MyFerryLink ships, already says it wants to take on only 202 of the roughly 600 employees. The third ship, which remains at the Eurotunnel, accounts for 120 employees. This means half of the MyFerryLink employees will be out of work.
Overview closures
The Belgian traffic centre provides the following overview of the closures on its website:
Situation around Calais
On the A16 and on the A26, the exit to the A216 to the ferry terminals in Calais has been closed. Exits 43 and 44 have also been closed.
Exit 42 coming from Boulogne to the Channel Tunnel is open. Toward Boulogne (= coming from Dunkirk/Belgium), the exit is still closed. The train to England can be taken at the moment, but take into account huge waiting times.
Situation around Dunkirk
Exit 53 has been closed down in the direction of the terminals in the port of Dunkirk. Around exit 57, connecting the A26 (coming from Lille) with the A16/E40 (coming from Veurne), trucks are sent back to Veurne, and between Coudekerque and Ghyvelde, they have to wait on the emergency lane. The exits 63, 62 and 61 are open for local traffic, passenger cars and buses. The ramps 59 to 63 are open in both directions for everyone.
Situation in the region Nord-Pas-de-Calais & West Flanders
In France, heavy vehicles (+3.5t) can't continue any farther on the E40/A16 than exit 65 "Ghyvelde" to Dunkirk. This is the first exit in France, coming from Veurne. In Belgium, trucks can't go past Veurne. Exit 1a Veurne has been closed. Passenger cars and buses are directed off the highway at exit 2 Oostduinkerke, and have to go to Dunkirk and Calais through local provincial roads. It is advisable to leave at exit 3 Nieuwpoort or 4 Gistel. The Jabbeke junction will remain open, but every ramp between Jabbeke and Adinkerke (heading to France) has been closed.
From Flanders to Belgian east coast or France
To the east coast: leave in time, and exit the highway in Gistel or Nieuwpoort. Continue your way through the local roads.
To France: take the E17 Gent - Kortrijk to reach Lille. There you can go to Calais (A26).