Channel-Tunnel concessionaire Getlink released its September traffic bulletin on 8 October 2026, showing LeShuttle Freight volumes up 8 % year-on-year to 102 014 trucks, while passenger-vehicle numbers grew 2 % to 197 717. Cumulatively, more than 883 000 trucks and 1.74 million cars have crossed between Coquelles and Folkestone since January. The company attributes the growth to continued post-Brexit resilience of its ‘smart border’ system, which relies on number-plate recognition, pre-lodged customs declarations and biometric checks developed jointly with French Customs (DGDDI) and UK Border Force. Average processing times for freight were 64 seconds per truck in September, well below the two-minute KPI set after the Entry/Exit System (EES) went live in April. For French exporters, the figures offer reassurance that the Channel Tunnel remains the quickest route to Britain despite ongoing Dover ferry bottlenecks. Several automotive suppliers in Hauts-de-France told Getlink analysts they had re-routed just-in-time components back through Eurotunnel after summer queues at Calais port added unpredictable dwell times. Mobility practitioners should note that passenger-vehicle demand is tracking ahead of 2019 for the first time, driven partly by cross-border remote workers who choose weekend commutes to the UK. The trend could influence housing allowances and tax-residency triggers for French nationals on hybrid assignments. Getlink said October numbers will be released on 6 November, but warned that any escalation of industrial action in French refineries or rail networks could dampen volumes. Still, the 30-year-old fixed link looks set to end 2026 on a high, underpinning France’s global-mobility ecosystem with reliable bi-national infrastructure.
Source: Getlink Press Release
