Tunnel project has potential to transform Channel Islands

Wednesday 25 October 2023

A Channel Island tunnel to France would be much more than just an infrastructure and the islands should work together on the concept, a key supporter has said.

Local entrepreneur and former Chamber of Commerce president Martyn Dorey has championed the direct link from Guernsey, inspired in part by the tunnels that link the Faroe Islands.

Investors have shown an interest and now the Jersey government has committed to a feasibility study looking at a tunnel or bridge between there and France.

“I am delighted that the Jersey government is considering a fixed link between Jersey and France,” said Mr Dorey.

“The British Tunnelling Society placed the original Channel Island/France tunnel concept at number 3 in a list of global projects to watch for 2023, and it highlights that what we do as an archipelago of British islands influences the thinking of the global engineering community."

“Guernsey and Jersey would benefit from working together on this project, as there will be a windfall for both islands in establishing fixed infrastructure.  This is more than just an infrastructure project, it is a social, economic, and environmental project with the potential to transform the lives and prospects of citizens, businesses and society in the Channel Islands.  A key outcome is establishing a commuting population from France and to enrich trade, tourism, and enhanced social cohesion.”

 He said that obviously the cost of a fixed link is unknown until a feasibility study is undertaken, and this is the challenge.  

“We share similar Nordic geology and coastal environments, and the Jersey Government is right to highlight that the Nordics have consistently delivered low cost fixed link infrastructure.  In particular the Faroe islands are world leaders who, with a population of only 55,000, built two privately financed 11k sub-sea tunnels in the last four years alone.   

“In terms of next steps, and independently of Government, we are sponsoring two tunnelling experts from the Nordics to meet Jersey and Guernsey next March, to give key stakeholders and members of the public an opportunity to find out what benefits the Faroe Islands have achieved from fixed links, and how they brought private finance into the project through the innovative use of passenger volume guarantees.”

A Ramboll study in 2020 estimated that the 28km rail tunnel connecting Guernsey and Jersey would cost around £2.6bn. The second phase, a 32km rail tunnel from Jersey to France, was estimated to cost around £3bn.