Department for Transport

Calais situation: information and advice
_______________________________________________________________

date 29 June 2015
source Department for Transport
type Press release

Information and links for anyone affected by travel disruption at Calais. This will be updated as the situation develops.

Calais situation: updated 29 June 2015

Cross-Channel services through the Port of Calais and the Channel Tunnel at Coquelles are disrupted due to ongoing industrial action in France.

COBR has met again to review our well-rehearsed contingency plans, including working with the French to minimise the impact on the travelling public, increase security at the port and increasing Border Force operations.

We will continue to closely monitor the situation and update travel advice accordingly.

If you have a booking, check online with your operator for more information before you leave home.

Details of alternative routes for returning to the UK.

General travel advice
Cross-Channel passengers travelling from Dover/Folkstone to the Port of Calais are advised to check online with their chosen operator and plan their journey to avoid disruption. You may also want to follow local radio for travel updates.

Cross-Channel passengers planning to travel through Calais and Coquelles are advised to check online with their travel operator. Information about alternative routes and operators is available via this interactive map.
Compensation and exchanging tickets
If you need to exchange travel tickets, contact your operator. For advice on compensation and your rights, visit the ABTA website.

Read guidance on EU Regulation 1177/2010, which establishes the rights of all maritime passengers to assistance in the case of delayed or cancelled departures.

Contacts for cross-Channel operators
Dover/Folkestone – Calais/Coquelles cross-Channel operators
DFDS Seaways also operates out of Amsterdam, Dieppe and Dunkirk:

Twitter @DFDSUKUpdates
telephone:
Calais, Dunkirk and Amsterdam +44 (0) 344 902 0265 and +44 (0) 871 882 1777 for sailing information
Dieppe +44 (0) 844 576 8836, INT 0800 650 100 and +44 (0) 844 576 8836 for sailing information
P&O Ferries also operates out of Rotterdam and Zeebrugge:

Twitter @POferries for ferry updates
telephone +44 (0) 800 13 0030
MyFerryLink:

Twitter @MyFerryLink
telephone: +44 (0) 844 248 2100, open daily 09:00-17:30 GMT
Eurotunnel operates from Coquelles:

Twitter @eurotunnel
telephone: +44 (0) 8444 63 0000 (24 hour pre-recorded travel information), +44 (0) 8443 35 35 35, +33 (0) 810 63 03 04
Other cross-Channel operators and routes
Details of alternative routes for returning to the UK. Check availability and book ahead before considering travelling to another port of exit.
Brittany Ferries operates out of Caen, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Roscoff, St Malo, Bilbao and Santander:

Twitter @Brittanyferries
telephone +44 (0) 1752 648 637
Condor Ferries operates out of St Malo and Cherbourg:

Twitter @CF_Travel_News
telephone +44 (0) 1202 207 216, St Malo +44 (0) 825 165 463, Cherbourg +33 (0) 233 88 44 88
Stena operates out of Hook of Holland:

Twitter @StenalineUK
telephone +44 (0) 8447 70 70 70
Additional contacts
Port of Dover, Twitter @Port_of_Dover
Foreign travel advice: France
British embassy in Paris
Road traffic information
UK road traffic
Highways England traffic information or on Twitter: @HighwaysSEAST
France road traffic
autoroutes.fr
Bison Fute
What the government is doing
Law and order in and around Calais is the responsibility of the French authorities, but the UK continues to work with its French counterparts to strengthen the security of the border to stop migrants entering the UK illegally.

Border Force put its well-rehearsed and practised contingency plans into operation to ensure security is maintained during this period of disruption to cross-Channel services and as they return to normal. We have deployed additional Border Force staff and sniffer dogs in northern France as well as bolstering screening checks at Dover for both tourist and freight vehicles. This is on top of already rigorous border controls, which include 100% freight screening at Coquelles and Calais.

The government:

is providing funding to bolster the security and infrastructure of ports in northern France and Belgium – this includes a £2 million upgrade of detection technology, a £1 million extension of dog searching capacity and an additional £12 million to reinforce security at the juxtaposed border
has installed new fencing in Calais to enhance security at the port and help protect traffic on the road leading to it
is tackling the roots of this problem by increasing joint intelligence work with the French to target the organised crime gangs behind people smuggling
More than 39,000 attempts to cross the Channel illegally were prevented in 2014 to 2015 – more than double the previous year.

Railhub Archive ::: 2015-06-29 DfT-001