In anticipation of the upcoming opening of passenger traffic in international competition, it seemed interesting to meet Mr. Rouanet, director of GET SA, Chairman of the Committee of Safety, Security and Environment to the examine the consequences and any adjustments to consider for safety and security.
This meeting was held Thursday, June 4 at the offices of GET SA.
Before discussing these purely technical issues, we wanted to know his feelings about anemia the course and the explanation he gives.
Mr. Rouanet was disappointed by this "score" and involves, beyond the crisis, the attention of operators faced with a capital of the company that is not yet stabilized, the context of the restructuring, contingencies and uncertainties persist, the operators have not yet realized the value of the policy of consolidation and accretion conducted by management ... they remain in limbo.
All the company's strategy thus tends to confirm the plan capital, an irreversible financial restructuring, along with a willingness to assume the percentage of individuals around 30%, especially by policy:
- repurchases of shares / ORA
- ancitipation for the exercise of warrants
- whenever possible anticipating deadlines 2010/2011
I - Safety
- Planning rules Security to allow other trains that cross the tunnel Eurostar : The most important points consist of the questioning of the "divisibility" of the train and its minimum length of 375 m.
. The breaking : the conventional TGV and other high-speed trains are trainsets. It is impossible to get cars or it can be done in a workshop. The Eurostar can be split into 2 parts in an emergency. The section still operational so could continue his journey in the tunnel. This implies a transfer of more than 200 passengers from one section to another through the central corridor which is very difficult to implement. This operation was never carried out otherwise than in years!
. The train length : main tunnel tubes are connected to the service tunnel every 375 m of passages (cross passage) for the possible evacuation of passengers. The Eurostar is + - 400 m long. If it stops in the tunnel, this will always be before one of these passages, thereby avoiding having to move passengers through the tunnel to pass under fire. The conventional high-speed trains have a length between 230 and 300 m. It will then set off for the train stops in front a passage. This is not impossible that our shuttle truck drivers are already trained to position the doors of the car carrying the road in front of the passages. The car is 26 m on a convoy of 750 m. It is an exercise much more difficult than positioning a train of more than 200 m at a crossing.
Other major areas for improvement have been the subject of special attention:
1) The way to fight against possible fire has been completely redesigned so once the people in shelter, to protect more effectively infrastructure and equipment.
To facilitate the work of firefighters, installing water jets has been decided and the location of 4 zones of extinction chosen to be certain that the train, given its ability to fire could reach the area closest to extinction.
The positioning of water points at each end of the two central intervals was proposed and accepted by the IGC. The timetable submitted April 16, 2009 plans to launch tenders during June, the contracts were signed in July and construction of the first prototype implementation trials during the second half of 2009. The validation will take place early 2010 (the technological difficulties of mounting concern brought water). The other 3 areas will be completed in 2011.
2) important preventive measures have been implemented:
- prevention provisions to minimize / eliminate risks during boarding trucks on the shuttle and the new organization has resulted the creation of 24 posts with staff training to carry out meticulous checks and flush out all the hot spots (connected refrigerators, cigarettes forgotten etc.).
- multiplication instructions behavior in 9 languages to avoid panic incident
3) negotiations are underway with firefighters from Kent and the Pas-de-Calais to improve their intervention.
Currently, while the evacuation of people is well controlled, the gap between the announcement of a loss and the firefighters on the fire is too large (about 1 hour) and it is therefore of optimize response instructions and get a much more rapid neutralization of the catenary.
Mr. Rouanet recalls that two units of firefighters, U.S. and UK are by agreement of GET SA of significant royalties.
This was an opportunity for us to return to the undue burden - a theme that is the subject of bitter discussions and regular reminders but that other priorities drive back to a later date.
4) "Installation services of guidance and control systems": EUROTUNNEL major project which consists of the renewal of radio-communication of the concession. It is a major operation. On this occasion, Eurotunnel will system CMSM ; in order to achieve compliance with new European standards for interoperability but also reinforce the system performance.
CMSMs (Global System for Mobile Communications - Railways): it is a wireless communication standard based on GSM, and developed specifically for railway applications and communications that allows trains to communicate with positions of rail traffic control.
A grant application for the installation of this system has been updated to meet in Brussels, which wanted a study to ensure the project integration in the European network, technology options and the options for partnerships network operators have been settled, a tender has been launched. Obtaining the grant is awaited with confidence.
II - Security
For GET SA, it is in particular to obtain sufficient resources to fight against the growing flow of illegal immigrants from Iraq / Eritrea / Afghanistan. This serious problem has been the subject of two ministerial visits from Mr Eric Besson a series of recommendations to fight against the entry of illegal immigrants in the United Kingdom by very harmful intrusion into the scope of the Concession.
In April 2009, 34 missions had been canceled and 26 were delayed as a result of these incursions, yet the decision of the Arbitral Tribunal in the case of Sangatte has clearly settled: the State must give dealers the means to operate normally and must bear the security costs arising.
Thus, GET SA has seen its monitoring capabilities and increased its situation improved significantly with contingents of the PAF, CRS (40 people in more than 24 h/24) and servicemen.
A report prepared by the National Transport Council shows the difficulty of fight against this serious problem.
III - Ability to open to new operators:
The issue concerning the opening to international competition and the reception capacity of GET SA was then addressed .
Mr. Rouanet indicates that the infrastructure of Eurotunnel is not experiencing saturation and there is capacity in the host part of a policy "of open access . Canterbury at the time of the annual estimates had forecast 10 million tonnes of cargo and 30 million passengers, the figures now stand at 1.5 million tonnes of cargo and 9 million passengers!
. There accordingly, particularly through EUROPORT 2, a potential development of freight which GET SA is very attentive; The turnover in 2008 amounted to € 740 million ... Europorte 2 participated for € 2 million! The company therefore seeks to partner with a particular user of the infrastructure operator originating Benelux / UK / France / Italy or Germany, it made "open access " a major option of its development policy to facilitate freight free access through the Channel Tunnel.
. As regards passenger transport, Mr. Rouanet also ensures that there is no particular problem for the entry of new operators; prospects remain very frank hospitality.
GET SA says the new deadline for loan deals and the year 2010 with confidence.
Before leaving Mr. Rouanet and thank him for his excellent hospitality, we wanted him to share the excitement of some shareholders after the large increase in salary of the president and a doubling of attendance of Directors , a decision that seemed premature and disproportionate given the progress of the backup plan and symbolic dividends received by shareholders.
Mr. Rouanet would not comment on the pay increase that the president certainly is the responsibility of the Remuneration Committee and we will try to meet Ms. Neuville.
But he gladly explained the reasons for the reassessment of fees and justified by the need during the implementation of the new structure, GET SA, to prop up on the rules in force in societies the same rating. GTE shall offer the image of a normal society, profitable and able to operate under the standards of corporate credibility if she wants to conquer the market confidence.
Mr. Rouanet expressed satisfaction at such meetings and open to new interviews to provide regular updates of the initiatives of leaders and he has assured us of all his pugnacity and that all board members to promote and develop the business.
