Eurotunnel, the operator of the Channel Tunnel, has halted its UK projects, claiming “unsustainable” levels of taxation has made any future investments “non-viable”.

The company said it had been informed its business rates would increase by some 200% from next year.

It hit out at the government, arguing that the higher costs were “clearly contrary” to ambitions of growing the economy and increasing investment.

The Treasury said it would support firms “hit hardest” by tax hikes and would continue talks with affected industries over such concerns.

  • mjr@infosec.pub
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    1 month ago

    it had scrapped plans to reopen a freight terminal in Barking and to run a new direct freight service from Lille.

    Fine, let another freight operator have them, then.

    Meanwhile, their biggest shareholder is still building part of HS2. 🤷

    • Log in | Sign up@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Yep.

      it had scrapped plans to reopen a freight terminal in Barking and to run a new direct freight service from Lille.

      … and the UK population who knew about it gave a little shrug.

    • ohulancutash@feddit.uk
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      1 month ago

      Other operators do use the tunnel. There’s a weekly train from Seville carrying oranges for Tesco.

      • mjr@infosec.pub
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        1 month ago

        Yes, and maybe one of them would like the depot or to run an extra service. That’s what I’m saying. Eurostar hasn’t been allowed to hog the Temple Mills train depot, so why should Eurotunnel hoard the Barking freight depot on the link to the state-owned LTS line? These depots are expensive to build and can only go in limited places, so they should use it, sell it, or lose it.