With No Plan for Brexit in Place, the Channel Tunnel Hangs in the Balance

About 20 million tons of freight moves through the Channel Tunnel between England and France every year. The process for moving that freight could vary depending on how Brexit goes down.

1 minute read

July 5, 2018, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Channel Train Cars

Deatonphotos / Shutterstock

"The European Union is working on an emergency plan (paywall) for the Channel Tunnel in the event that the UK ends up leaving the bloc without a deal—known as a “hard Brexit”," according to an article by Edmund Heaphy.

"Even if Britain successfully manages to negotiate a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU—something that is looking increasingly uncertain (paywall)—freight traveling through the undersea tunnel will likely face customs checks," explains Heaphy. "But in the event of a hard Brexit, rules surrounding borders and trade will naturally have to change, because no agreement over these issues would have been resolved."

The deadline for a deal is rapidly approaching—March 30, 2019. If there's no deal in place at that time, English shipments would be blocked from entering France.

Thursday, June 28, 2018 in Quartz

Aerial view of homes on green hillsides in Daly City, California.

Depopulation Patterns Get Weird

A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.

April 10, 2024 - California Planning & Development Report

Aerial view of Oakland, California with bay in background

California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million

Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.

April 11, 2024 - Los Angeles Times

A view straight down LaSalle Street, lined by high-rise buildings with an El line running horizontally over the street.

Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing

Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.

April 10, 2024 - Chicago Construction News

Young woman and man seated on subway car looking at phones.

Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features

It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.

4 hours ago - BGR

Ohio state capitol dome against dramatic lightly cloudy sky.

Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production

A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.

5 hours ago - Daytona Daily News

Aerial view of Interstate 290 or Eisenhower Expressway in Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant

Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.

6 hours ago - Streetsblog Chicago

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.