Channel Tunnel rail 使用者 numbers slide

By ROBERT LEA
Updated: 00:00 BST, 21 January 2003

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THE number of 乗客s crossing to the Continent by rail fell はっきりと last year. Channel Tunnel 操作者 Eurotunnel today said the number of cars using its 往復（する） services from Folkestone fell by nearly 200,000, or 8%, to 2.33m in 2002 while coach parties were 負かす／撃墜する 5% at 71,911.

The number of 乗客s using 競争相手 train service Eurostar through the tunnel was 負かす／撃墜する by nearly 350,00 0, or 5%, to 6.6m. A 広報担当者 for Eurotunnel said the last three months of the year had been 特に 堅い.

'The 現在の 経済的な 気候 is 明白に knocking 消費者 信用／信任. 追加するd to that, the supermarkets had good 申し込む／申し出s, 特に on alcohol, in the run-up to Christmas and, what with the 天候 the way it was, people said 'blow that, we'll stay at home', he said.

The perennially loss-making, 負債-laden Eurotunnel said it had not done 不正に financially. Attracting higher-産する／生じるing holidaymakers rather than day-trippers 加える strong 歳入s from トラックで運ぶs saw a 6% growth in income from 往復（する） services to £333m.

Although there was a 40% 崩壊（する） in the number of freight trains using the tunnel because of 亡命-探検者 disruption at the French 終点s, 歳入s from third-party 跡をつける 使用者s such as Eurostar and freight group EWS rose 1% to £217m. These 歳入s were 支援するd by 保証（人）d 最小限 usage 協定s - 効果的に 明言する／公表する 補助金s from the British and French 政府s.

Total operating 歳入s for the year were up £13m at £570m. Eurotunnel will 発表する the extent of its losses - おもに from 遺産／遺物 負債 返済s - next month. In its 声明 to the 在庫／株 交流, however, Eurotunnel sounded a 公式文書，認める of 警告を与える, 説: 'The 現在の weak 経済的な 環境 is likely to 限界 our ability to build 容積／容量 and 産する／生じるs in the short 称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語.'

Eurotunnel 株 were unmoved today at 40 1/2p, just up from their long-time lows 攻撃する，衝突する last month. 長，指導者 (n)役員／(a)執行力のある Richard Shirrefs said: 'Eurotunnel's market position and high-質 service levels mean that the company is 井戸／弁護士席-placed to 利益 as 経済的な 条件s 改善する.'