I think it's wonderful that they chose two of the workers at random to meet through the initial opening rather than politicians who, as you said, had absolutely nothing to do with the actual building of the tunnel. What a wonderful honor for those men and way to show true unity of humanity. Excellent decision indeed.

Colin Ferguson once voiced the concern that when the "Chunnel" was opened, hoards or rats would come over from France, which they did, but once they tried British food, they all went back to France.

Not long after the Channel Tunnel opened, one of the tunnel boring machines was on hilltop just off the M20 with a sign saying, "For sale. One careful owner". British humour at its best😂

I read the title as "the tunnel channel: planned since 1802" was thinkin "wow simon's been planning this one for a while."

Next Mega Project should be the Large Hadron Collider!

10:45 Ah yes, the classic 20 story house.

Forget Metric. Forget Imperial. What I've learned from this channel is that all megaprojects are measured in Eiffels.

"The Channel - twenty miles wide,; a thousand years deep"

If I'm going to keep watching Simon's channels, I'm definitely going to have to learn the dimensions of a football pitch.

"The British side had tunneled slightly further than the French" UK Wins!

I was an avid supporter of this endevour - it captured my imagination immediately. I waited (and waited, and waited) with great anticipation for my first trip through this modern marvel................and the opportunity finally arose and I took it!!! I was almost giggy with anticipation.................and it turned out to be - a train trip through a tunnel - something I had done hundreds of times before (and since). The experience was in no way remarkable, I found the trip to the top of the Tour Eiffel or my "behind the scenes" tour of the House of Lords more exciting. But I still think it is one of the greatest achievements of mankind - certainly to be marveled over, but there is no "experience" related to it beyond the cerebral (and a slight emotional edge when viewed culturally). Thanks, Simon - for another quality, comprehensive, entertaining, and edifying episode!

Commenter from the future: So this is where the Great Baguette Length War began.

Simon's opening remarks remind me of an episode of "Yes, Minister" where Jim Hacker and Sir Humphrey Appleby were discussing the building of fallout shelters: Hacker: ... Anyway, the Americans will always protect us from the Russians, won't they? Sir Humphrey: Russians? Who's talking about the Russians? Hacker: Well, the independent deterrent. Sir Humphrey: It's to protect us against the French! Hacker: The French?! But that's astounding! Sir Humphrey: Why? Hacker: Well they're our allies, our partners. Sir Humphrey: Well, they are now, but they've been our enemies for the most of the past 900 years. If they've got the bomb, we must have the bomb! Hacker: If it's for the French, of course, that's different. Makes a lot of sense. Sir Humphrey: Yes. Can't trust the Frogs. Hacker: You can say that again!

It seems like English and French people have been rivals for hundreds of years, and after fighting both world wars together this handshake was the thing that (to me at least) solidified your countries friendship. You guys will always have each other to lean on.

I think an episode on the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel in Tokyo would be pretty interesting

This video is from 2020, and it says "16 years on" (see 16:20) while the tunnel opened in 1994. I guess those are 16 imperial years, and not metric.

14:57 you can also go from London to Marseille! And there's even a stop at Lyon :) And during winter there's a train going directly from London to French Alps (last stop is Bourg Saint Maurice) 😊

“Went on a casual day trip to France.” You can drive for 18 hours in Texas and STILL be in Texas 😂

When the two tunnels finally met, Guinness book of world records named the channel tunnel the "Most expensive glory hole ever"

This is by far my fav channel. I love these types of videos and love all the channels you have. As Johnny Five would say “iiiinnnpuuuutttt”. You rock man. Delivery is solid and consumable.

Thanks, this definitely deserved an episode. I've never actually been through the thing, despite growing up near the English end, and my father having helped build it.

The Dutch Delta Works would make for a good episode

This is the first time i've ever heard of the Channel Tunnel. And that's why I love to watch Simon's videos. I love learning new things. Thank you Simon! Keep up the great work.

Well done 👍🏻 This is quickly becoming one of my favorite channels! I enjoyed the borehole and the Dyson Sphere was Awesome 👏🏻... Keep up the good work!!!

Yeah I love the Chunnel. Being a Civil Engineer, I followed this project from the beginning. I finally had a chance to drive onto it from the British side and right hand drive, and dumps you into Europe where it's all left hand drive. Seamless for me because I grew up with both. I say I drove onto it instead of into it. That's because you drive onto a train and stay with your car till you get to France. Not into the tunnel.

Only been through the tunnel once, and I was amazed at how smooth the journey was. Didn't even realise that the train had started moving! No shaking, no rattling, no feeling of acceleration or ANYTHING to indicate movement. Really impressive!

Wow, I found that very informative I really enjoyed it very much I watched all the series so far and love every min of it. Keep up the good work.

Massive fan of your content. My uncle's company (Rhodes Industries) made the drills for the tunnel but, unbelievably, I had never watched anything about its construction...so thank you for remedying that for me! Another great video!

Thanks for always mentioning meters, unlike many english native channels.

I'm surprised the British guy didn't hand over a German flag and say "guten tag!" just to troll the French...

I genuinely enjoy your demeanor and how you portray the information. *side note your corona virus video was by far my favorite laugh and the reason I subbed all your channels

Stellar. Well done.

I saw the title as The Channel Tunnel and thought, Oh he started another KZfaq channel

An episode on O’Neil cylinders would be awesome

I really enjoy your videos.... very enlightening as well as entertaining. I am from the US, and I've had the pleasure of riding on the Chunnel train from Paris to London. A great experience!

I completely geeked out in this !!! Awesome!

Megaproject Suggestion: The First Transcontinental Railroad.

2:43 it's not that dumb, the BART tunnel under San Francisco bay sits on the bottom of the ocean, mostly in the water. That's mostly so it has some flexibility in the even of an earthquake.

My x4 Great grandfather was the engineer William Low who came up with the 2 tunnel design that we now have today. So proud of his work!

Thanks so much for a really enjoyable video. It is much appreciated.

I'd love to see a top 10 of megaprojects that finished on time and on budget, if there are even 10 lol

"One was holding Union Jack flag and the other one French white flag." On a serious note, it's crazy what countries can accomplish when they put their silliness aside.

0:35 - Chapter 1 - An umatched rivalry 4:10 - Chapter 2 - A long long road 9:50 - Chapter 3 - Diggin begins again 12:35 - Chapter 4 - The big day 14:10 - Chapter 5 - The big day part II 14:55 - Chapter 6 - Travelling through 16:25 - Chapter 7 - 16 years on 18:40 - Chapter 8 - A modern wonder of the world

Great episode!!

French and English upon meeting in the middle: English guy: Why didn't we do this centuries ago? French guy: Because we'd been at war with each other for over half a millennium. English guy: Millennium...that's a good name for a ride in London. French guy: YOU SON OF A B***H!

Simon "I don't remember when it opened." Me "Man, I feel old now!" Anyway Simon, you should do an episode on the Bridge/Tunnel across the Chesapeake Bay. I was UNDER a super carrier once while using it!

Great episode sir!

So many possible subjects for this channel, but this is the video I was looking forward to most.

but then we'd need the baguette to bap conversion instead...

It's my boi Simon without the Blaze

Thanks for another great vid! I'm loving this Channel (pun intended...) One of the most interesting things I learnt about the construction of the tunnels, was that due to the fact they were bored from each end and met in the middle, it was not economically viable to dismantle the TBMs and remove them. They couldn't be reversed back out, because they were larger in diameter than the completed tunnel behind them. So, the solution was to simply bore an offshoot to the side of or below the main tunnel for each TBM, and bury them there. So there the TBMs remain, buried in concrete deep under the Channel. Can't wait for your next Vid! Cheers...

The number of commercials makes me a sad Panda 😥 🐼

Simon is so cute. I love how much more casual he is on this channel and he gives us little details about his life and who he is.

Sadly..... I'm old enough to remember the project going on during the late 1980's. I've used it loads of times and it's a great way to cross the Channel in less time than the ferries that do the same journey..... which takes well over an hour.

Great channel and a great presenter ...also love the bio graphics channel as well ... keep them coming please ...

I've wanted a video like this on the channel tunnel for years 😊😊

We need a Mega Projects on the Empire State Building. Thanks.

I used to always fly Ryanair between London and Eindhoven (or Weeze), which all things taken into account takes roughly 6-8 hours including all the waiting and travelling. Then I found out accidentally (due to a airport strike) that travelling by Eurostar takes about the same time but, for a couple of euros/pounds more, I could travel first class, get food and sit relaxed reading a book. Never flew that route ever again, always Eurostar 1st class.

I remember spending a number of weekends in the Folkstone area around the time just before it opened and while construction was going on prior to that. Was an incredible sight from the top of the hills surrounding the area.

I ridden the channel tunnel twice. once to Paris and once to Brussels on our way to Bruges. The advantage the eurostar has to budget airlines is for the most part the train goes straight into the city. no need to worry about the airport traffic or anything.

At 05:58 "The British had a bit of a distrust of their Gaelic neighbours...." Excuse-me Simon? Have the French got roots with the people on 'that other island' (or the Welsh/Scottish). Maybe you meant 'Gallic roots' ;).

wouldnt it be 26 years?

Another winner, Mr. Whistler. On the topic of tunnels, you now simply cannot skip the Gotthard Base Tunnel. Twin 32' tunnels running 35 miles under the Alps.

It would have been an interesting fact to talk about how accurate the navigation was. I was quite impressed to see the breakthrough exactly on point.

"...cost the UK 16 million dollars" Err, Simon, sorry mate but we use Pound Sterling in the UK..

Also known as "The Chunnel".

Thanks for sharing. 😉👌🏼

I really enjoy this channel!! Thank you!!

Another of the worlds greatest rivalries separated by only a slither of water.. Sweden and Denmark anyone... Talk about rivalry.. :D Edit.. Oh and we also have one of those megaprojects where we worked together.. :) The Öresundsbridge

Making tunnels is boring

idk if you do projects that aren't completed yet, but the coastal highway project ongoing in Norway is shaping up to be one of the most impressive infrastructure projects ever, and notably DOES include a proposed tunnel through, not under, the ocean.

Thank you

"33km for you europeans" says the european guy living in the middle of europe

The world should just quit humouring America and just quit referring to anything in imperial.

A great tale, the Chunnel is wicked cool! Norway is talking about a "Floating Tunnel", just like your childhood notions! That tunnel and the entire road system that Norway is considering would be a great Future Megaprojects video!

IMO, Simon your style of presentation in this video is the best so far.

Golden softball .... . "We made a video about the world's deepest hole, but Kim Kardashian filed a copyright claim." Buh-dum-dum-PSSHH!!

Simon, keep making this great content!

Amusingly like alot of our elderly rail infrastructure the shakespeare cliffs tunnel section is still there and still being used, mostly original apart from a small section in which it was discovered that the sea had finally found its way in through the defence wall in 2015, a new defence and track bed had to be made rather quickly and at a high cost because the main line into Folkstone and Dover couldnt be closed for very long. The tailings dug out from the tunnel were dumped against the cliffs and a nature reserve was created on top of them, that too is really impressive and well worth a visit if your in the Dover area, the cafe on site does a mean bacon roll.

Happy birthday Simon

Well good for them on the build

Great channel. Two things I would like to see. The CERN Hadron Collider, and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

Hi, there are two other megaprojects involving tunnels that might be interesting: The Big Dig in Boston, which is one of the most expensive tunnel/bridge complexes built, and includes a bridge-within-a-tunnel under the harbor; and the Alaskan Way Tunnel in Seattle, which was, at the time it was built, the largest diameter deep bore tunnel in the world. It might still be, but I'm not sure about that. Naturally, both had problems, delays, lawsuits, and were over budget. The one here in Seattle contributed to our mayor losing his job.

Like button smashed!

that was so very cool. love this channel

i've only used the channel tunnel once back when i was a kid on a school trip to Bruggee. Comfortable ride, didn't even notice we'd started moving. Didn't even feel like we were in there for long

I'm surprised you didn't cover what happened to all the material dug out, as that's a worthwhile story as well.

I live in Dover, and regularly drive past Folkestone terminal on my way to work. Also, yes, you can see France in good weather from multiple points in that area.

Wow, in less than two months this channel is nearly at 100k subscribers. The power of Simon Whistler is massive.

This is...Outstanding....Well said well written ....l thank y'all very much indeed....Kentucky calling collect...!

Love ur channel... Please do a video on ITERs Tokamak and CERN's LHC

I've been on the eurostar twice with my with. first trip was london to paris and the second london to belguim. both journeys taking about 2 hours. its really interesting when you go under the tunnel. the first time I wasn't even aware we had entered the tunnel until they welcomed us to france, though my wife said she saw a sign about entering the channel tunnel just before before going in. Still I enjoyed the ride. the main advantage of taking the eurostar is that it takes you gare de nord. with a plane, you have to land at an airport and then worry about how to get into the city. eurostar youre already there.

Way better transition music in this vid! Love the content.

Try eventually following the new built of a Danish built Tunnel to Germany, below The Fehmarn Belt? It is being built as long floating concrete elements to be shipped out and sunk into the bottoms newly made ditch, which is to be covered on top of the elements below, making the sea bottom as it had been before! And the cars may here drive for themselves + two rail tracks to one side.

The reverse surveying to achieve both tunnels meeting within a few metres, was at the time, pretty cutting edge stuff.

Having Simon and family over for dinner seems like it would be one of the more interesting and entertaining evenings one could have. Especially if he enjoys brandy and a fine cigar.

However, the usefulness of _Eurostar_ wasn't complete until the _High Speed 1_ line from the Channel Tunnel to London St. Pancras was operational in 2007. Once that opened, downtown London to downtown Paris turned into a 2 hour 15 minute trip.

I don't know why but this made me start thinking about the Transatlantic Cable. Would be cool to see a video on that.

Fun fact: these are filmed in an abandoned part of the chunnel.... that also has magnificent lighting..

We like listening to you talking about big holes:) Can you do the Gotthard base tunnel as well?