The London Olympics helped Channel Tunnel operator Eurotunnel reach record traffic levels this summer and pushed revenues up 13 per cent in the third quarter.
The group’s shuttle service between Calais and Folkestone enjoyed a 10 per cent rise in passenger traffic and a 17 per cent increase in trucks in the July-September period.
Numbers travelling through the tunnel on high-speed Eurostar trains were down 1 per cent, but overall revenue for the third quarter of 2012 reached £223 million. The company said its trains aligned with the “green” values of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, while the “natural flexibility” of its transport system meant it was easily able to adapt its shuttle services to the increase in demand.
Chief executive Jacques Gounon said: “This summer, on the back of a dynamic first half-year, Eurotunnel again set new traffic records.
He said the firm had attracted customers away from the airlines and was confident business levels would remain at current levels for the rest of the year.