World

Minibus Hits Channel Tunnel Freight Train in Calais, 19 Injured

Stateline MEDIA Newsroom•October 16, 2026•3 min read

A minibus struck a stationary Le Shuttle freight train at the Coquelles loading dock, near Calais, France, on Thursday night (15/10/2026). 19 people were injured — two airlifted to Lille by helicopter; none in life-threatening condition. The cause is under investigation.

Key Facts

A minibus collided with a stationary Le Shuttle freight train at the Coquelles loading dock, near Calais, France, on Thursday evening (15/10/2026) at about 7:27 p.m. local time, injuring at least 19 people.
The minibus was carrying 18 truck drivers of various nationalities waiting to cross the tunnel to England, plus a Eurotunnel employee as the bus driver. The bus did not overturn, but the force of the impact injured everyone on board.
Two victims were classified as absolute emergencies and airlifted by helicopter to a hospital in Lille; the other injured were taken to hospitals in Calais, Boulogne, Dunkirk, and Rang-du-Fliers. No one is in life-threatening condition.
Around 100 Eurotunnel staff were deployed to the scene along with fire engines and medics. Traffic between England and France was paused for about 1.5 hours for the evacuation, then resumed; Eurostar said its services were unaffected and running as scheduled.
The cause remains under investigation. Calais sub-prefect Agathe Cury said this is the first accident of this kind on a Eurotunnel loading platform since services began in 1994.
The crash came days after a regional train derailed in Normandy, France, critically injuring a young woman and hurting 44 other passengers.

Crash at the Coquelles Loading Dock

COQUELLES — A minibus collided with a stationary Le Shuttle freight train at the Coquelles loading dock, near Calais, France, on Thursday night (15/10/2026) local time. The crash injured at least 19 people and briefly halted traffic between England and France.

The incident occurred at about 7:27 p.m. local time, when the minibus struck the side of a shuttle train that was about to depart for England. Although the bus did not overturn, the force of the impact injured everyone on board.

The minibus was carrying 18 truck drivers of various nationalities waiting to cross the tunnel, plus a Eurotunnel employee as the driver. Agathe Cury, the Calais sub-prefect, said the consulates of the victims' home countries had been notified.

Two Victims Airlifted to Lille

Two victims were classified as absolute emergencies and airlifted by helicopter to a hospital in Lille for further treatment. The other injured were taken to hospitals in Calais, Boulogne, Dunkirk, and Rang-du-Fliers. Local authorities said no one is in life-threatening condition.

Around 100 Eurotunnel staff were deployed to the scene along with several fire engines and medical teams. French newspaper La Voix du Nord reported that travel between England and France was paused for about an hour and a half to evacuate the injured, before returning to normal.

Eurostar said its passenger services were unaffected. "This incident does not involve or impact Eurostar trains running from and to London," the company said in a statement to the BBC, adding that all its trains were running as expected.

First Accident of Its Kind Since 1994

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Cury said it was not yet known why the minibus struck the shuttle train that had just finished loading and was about to depart. "This is the first time an accident of this kind has occurred on a Eurotunnel loading platform since services started in 1994," she said.

According to Cury, there were two Le Shuttle trains at the dock at the time: one being loaded with trucks to cross the tunnel, and another that had finished loading and was about to depart. The minibus struck the departing train "for reasons still unknown."

The incident came just days after a regional train derailed in Normandy, France, critically injuring a young woman and hurting 44 other passengers — making it a grim week for railway safety in France.