Channel Tunnel bosses have reported an upsurge in rail freight during 2004 by eight per cent.

While the service continues to suffer on the passenger front due to competition from the low-cost airlines, freight did well, with tonnage through the tunnel ending the year at 1,889,175 tonnes.

Despite the increase in traffic from the railways, however, the volumes still remain significantly below levels required to exceed the minimum usage charge. As a result, the revenue increase on freight was only two per cent, to £234 million.

On the truck shuttle operations, the Eurotunnel saw little change from 2003, with the business not benefiting from the growth in the market caused be the EU accession and the continuing shift from trucks to containerised units,

Jean-Louis Raymond, chief executive, said: “The cross channel market has remained difficult for all operators, as it has for Eurotunnel. Making sure we remain competitive in the future has required a radical change in commercial policy. At the same time, the policy of controlling costs continues to bear fruit.”

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