Chunnel

American  

[chuhn-l] / ˈtʃʌn l /

Or chunnel

noun

1. a railroad tunnel under the English Channel between Great Britain and France, approved for construction in 1986.

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Chunnel British  

/ ˈtʃʌnəl /

noun

1. informal  a rail tunnel beneath the English Channel, linking England and France, opened in 1994

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Etymology

Origin of Chunnel

1925–30; blend of channel ¹ and tunnel

Example Sentences

Nicknamed "Chunnel", it comprises three tunnels, two rail tunnels used for freight and passenger trains, and a service tunnel.

From BBC

CANNES, France — Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt arrived in France in 1996’s “Mission: Impossible” clinging to a high speed train through the Chunnel, pursued and nearly skewered by a helicopter.

From Los Angeles Times

The prevailing standard of train travel in Europe is a far cry from the sleek Chunnel trains that zip beneath the seabed of the English Channel and can reach speeds of 186 miles per hour.

From Washington Post

No channel tunnel was built until Eurotunnel opened the “Chunnel” in 1994, between Folkestone, England, and Coquelles, France.

From Scientific American

The project has been a success on both sides of the Chunnel.

From Washington Post