Getlink
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA European infrastructure group that operates the Channel Tunnel and related cross-border transport and energy services.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Getlink S.E., formerly Groupe Eurotunnel, is a France-based European infrastructure company best known for operating the Channel Tunnel between Folkestone in the United Kingdom and Coquelles near Calais in France. The company manages the tunnel’s infrastructure, terminals, railway systems, signalling and traction-power systems, while also operating the vehicle shuttle business branded LeShuttle and the freight-transport activities of Europorte. It hosts passenger and freight rail operators that use the tunnel, including Eurostar passenger services and cross-Channel freight trains. The company was created on 13 August 1986 under the concession framework agreed by the French and British governments to finance, build and operate a fixed rail link beneath the English Channel. Construction was undertaken from 1988 to 1994 by the binational TransManche Link consortium. The project became one of Europe’s largest privately financed infrastructure ventures, but construction, safety and financing costs substantially exceeded initial estimates. The completed tunnel was inaugurated on 6 May 1994 by Queen Elizabeth II and French President François Mitterrand, with commercial services beginning later that month. Early operations were financially difficult. Traffic developed more slowly than expected, several planned services required additional regulatory approval, and the company carried a heavy debt burden. Groupe Eurotunnel reported a large loss in its first year and underwent a major financial restructuring during the 2000s. In 2006 it entered French bankruptcy protection after a proposed debt arrangement failed. A restructuring approved in 2007 combined new long-term financing with a debt-for-equity exchange and helped restore the business to profitability. After restructuring, the group expanded beyond the tunnel concession. It developed Europorte as a rail-freight operator, acquired French freight assets from Veolia Cargo with SNCF in 2009, and bought First GBRf in the United Kingdom in 2010, subsequently rebranding it GB Railfreight. In 2012 it acquired three former SeaFrance ferries and launched MyFerryLink, but the ferry operation was discontinued in 2015 following competition-related legal challenges. The group changed its corporate name from Groupe Eurotunnel to Getlink on 20 November 2017, reflecting a broader portfolio than the original Eurotunnel identity. Getlink’s principal business remains the Channel Tunnel vehicle shuttle operation. LeShuttle carries cars, coaches and motorcycles, while LeShuttle Freight carries trucks and other commercial vehicles. The company also earns infrastructure-access charges from other rail operators and operates rail-freight services through Europorte. In addition, Getlink owns and operates ElecLink, a high-voltage electricity interconnector between France and the United Kingdom that uses the tunnel corridor and entered service in 2022. It also owns Samphire Hoe, a nature reserve in Kent created from excavated Channel Tunnel spoil. The company is listed on Euronext Paris under the ticker GET. It withdrew its London Stock Exchange listing in 2020 while retaining its cross-Channel operating footprint. Brexit required significant investment in customs, border-control and veterinary-processing facilities at the terminals, including expanded truck parking, a consolidated control area and a so-called smart-border process. Getlink therefore combines regulated infrastructure operations, passenger and freight mobility, logistics connectivity and cross-border electricity transmission within a strategically important European transport corridor.
History
Getlink originated as Groupe Eurotunnel, established on 13 August 1986 under the concession agreement between France and the United Kingdom for a fixed rail connection beneath the English Channel. Its mandate was to arrange private financing, supervise construction and operate the completed infrastructure. Construction was carried out from 1988 to 1994 by TransManche Link, a binational consortium. The project encountered extensive cost overruns: the original estimate was approximately £4.7 billion, while the final construction cost reached about £9.5 billion. Higher safety, security and environmental requirements, together with financing costs, contributed to the increase. The Channel Tunnel was officially opened on 6 May 1994 by Queen Elizabeth II and President François Mitterrand. The infrastructure consists of twin main rail tunnels, surface terminals at Folkestone and Coquelles, and connecting systems under the company’s operational control. The first operating years were commercially and financially challenging. Passenger and freight volumes were below expectations, some services were delayed by regulatory approvals, and interest charges on the project’s debt were substantial. The company reported a loss of £925 million in 1995. Groupe Eurotunnel undertook a restructuring in the late 1990s, including an extension of the concession. A further crisis developed in the mid-2000s. A shareholder-backed debt proposal failed, and the company entered bankruptcy protection in France in August 2006. Shareholders approved a new plan in May 2007. The arrangement provided approximately £2.8 billion of long-term funding and exchanged a significant portion of debt for equity. The restructured company reported its first small net profit in 2007 and subsequently strengthened its finances. The group then broadened its activities into rail freight. It formed and expanded Europorte, acquired French freight subsidiaries from Veolia Cargo together with SNCF in 2009, and acquired First GBRf in 2010. It also received concessions to operate railway systems at the Port of Dunkirk. In 2012, Eurotunnel acquired three ferries formerly associated with SeaFrance and established MyFerryLink. The ferry business was challenged by competitors and regulators over alleged market concentration and ceased operations in 2015. On 20 November 2017, Groupe Eurotunnel became Getlink. The renaming accompanied a strategy presenting the company as a broader European connectivity group. In 2018, Atlantia acquired a substantial stake previously held by Goldman Sachs. In 2020, Getlink separated the chairmanship of its supervisory board from the chief executive role, with Yann Leriche becoming chief executive. The company also ended its London Stock Exchange listing in June 2020 while remaining listed in Paris. Brexit prompted extensive terminal modifications. Getlink added truck-parking capacity, consolidated control functions, created additional border lanes and developed digital and operational processes for customs, identity, veterinary and phytosanitary checks. Its transport business continued to combine vehicle shuttles, infrastructure access for Eurostar and freight operators, and Europorte rail-freight services. The company also diversified into energy through ElecLink, a 1,000 MW France–United Kingdom electricity interconnector running through the Channel Tunnel corridor, which began operations on 25 May 2022. Getlink additionally owns Samphire Hoe, a Kent nature reserve formed from material excavated during tunnel construction.
- 2022
ElecLink enters service
[1]The 1,000 MW electricity interconnector between France and the United Kingdom begins operations.
- 2020
Leadership structure is separated
[1]The chairman and chief executive roles are separated, with Yann Leriche becoming CEO.
- 2017
The group becomes Getlink
[1]Groupe Eurotunnel adopts the Getlink corporate name.
- 2015
MyFerryLink operations end
[1]The ferry business is discontinued following competition-related legal disputes.
- 2012
MyFerryLink is launched
[1]Getlink acquires three former SeaFrance ferries and begins a ferry venture across the Channel.
- 2010
First GBRf is acquired
[1]The British freight operator is purchased and integrated into Europorte as GB Railfreight.
- 2009
Europorte expands through Veolia Cargo acquisition
[1]Groupe Eurotunnel and SNCF acquire Veolia Cargo’s French freight activities.
- 2007
Debt restructuring is approved
[1]Shareholders approve new funding and a debt-for-equity exchange.
- 2006
Bankruptcy protection
[1]The company enters French bankruptcy protection after a debt restructuring proposal fails.
- 1994
Channel Tunnel officially opens
[1]The completed tunnel is inaugurated on 6 May and commercial services begin later that month.
Products and positioning
A strategic European cross-border infrastructure operator linking the United Kingdom and continental Europe through rail, logistics and energy assets.
Vehicle shuttle service · 1994
LeShuttle
Getlink’s principal passenger-vehicle service transports cars, motorcycles, coaches and their occupants by dedicated rail shuttles through the Channel Tunnel. Unlike conventional passenger rail, customers remain with their vehicles during the crossing. The service operates between the Folkestone and Coquelles terminals and is a major source of group revenue.
Freight vehicle shuttle service · 1994
LeShuttle Freight
LeShuttle Freight carries trucks and other commercial vehicles through the Channel Tunnel on dedicated shuttle trains. It supports high-volume road-freight flows between the United Kingdom and continental Europe and uses terminal systems designed for customs, security and border processing.
Rail freight · 2009
Europorte
Europorte is Getlink’s rail-freight platform. It operates freight trains in France and cross-Channel services, drawing on assets acquired from Veolia Cargo and First GBRf. The business provides rail haulage and related logistics connectivity rather than passenger transportation.
Rail infrastructure · 1994
Channel Tunnel infrastructure access
Getlink manages the Channel Tunnel’s fixed infrastructure, including the twin rail tunnels, terminals, signalling, electric traction supply and operational systems. It charges external train operators for access, including Eurostar and freight operators, while maintaining the safety and capacity of the cross-border railway.
Electricity interconnector · 2022
ElecLink
ElecLink is a 1,000 MW high-voltage direct-current electricity interconnector linking the French and British power systems. Its cable runs through the Channel Tunnel between converter stations near Folkestone and Peuplingues, with additional underground connections to national substations.
Environmental and land asset
Samphire Hoe
Samphire Hoe is a coastal nature reserve near Dover created using material excavated during construction of the Channel Tunnel. The site, access road and associated tunnel infrastructure are owned by the Eurotunnel business and form an environmental legacy of the construction project.
Controversies
2012
Competition controversy surrounding MyFerryLink
Getlink’s decision to launch MyFerryLink after acquiring former SeaFrance ferries led to sustained objections and legal proceedings alleging that the arrangement could distort competition on the Dover–Calais route. The service ultimately ceased operations in 2015.
Marketing campaigns
- 2019Channel Tunnel 25th anniversary fresco
France · United Kingdom
To mark 25 years of Channel Tunnel operations, Getlink commissioned a large fresco by street artist YZ at the French-side entrance, linking the infrastructure asset with a public art and heritage message.
Outcome. Anniversary and place-branding initiative
Brand decisions
2022
Launch ElecLinkProduct launchBackground
Getlink sought to use its cross-Channel infrastructure expertise to diversify into energy interconnection.
Action taken
The company placed the 1,000 MW France–United Kingdom high-voltage interconnector into operation.
Aftermath
ElecLink added electricity transmission to Getlink’s transport and logistics portfolio.
2017
Adopt the Getlink corporate identityStrategyBackground
The group had expanded into rail freight and other cross-border connectivity activities beyond the original Eurotunnel operation.
Action taken
Groupe Eurotunnel changed its name to Getlink.
Aftermath
The new identity positioned the listed group as a broader European transport and infrastructure network.
2009
Expand into French rail freightM&ABackground
The group sought to develop a rail-freight business alongside its Channel Tunnel infrastructure operations.
Action taken
Groupe Eurotunnel and SNCF acquired Veolia Cargo’s French operations and incorporated them into the Europorte platform.
Aftermath
The transaction broadened Getlink’s role from tunnel operator to rail-freight operator.
2007
Approve debt-for-equity restructuringStrategyBackground
The original financing structure had left Groupe Eurotunnel with a very large debt burden and the company had entered bankruptcy protection.
Action taken
Shareholders approved new long-term funding and exchanged a substantial portion of debt for equity.
Aftermath
The restructuring restored financial stability and was followed by the company’s first reported net profit in 2007.
New long-term funding. £2.8 billion (2007)
Recent events
Sources3 sources
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