Getlink released February 2026 traffic figures on Friday showing declines in both freight and passenger shuttle volumes through the Channel Tunnel.
LeShuttle Freight carried 94,332 trucks during February, a 1% decrease compared with February 2025. On the passenger side, LeShuttle transported 114,467 vehicles in February, representing a 6% fall from the same month a year earlier.
The company attributed the softer February passenger numbers to a calendar effect - specifically, the timing of British winter holidays occurring close to the Easter weekend in early April 2026. Getlink highlighted this timing as influencing travel patterns for the month.
Getlink also reported year-to-date movements: since January 1, more than 190,000 trucks have used the shuttle services, and over 235,000 passenger vehicles have passed through the tunnel so far in 2026.
Operationally, Getlink manages the Channel Tunnel infrastructure through its subsidiary Eurotunnel. The concession governing that operation runs until 2086. The group provides shuttle services for trucks and passenger vehicles on the Folkestone (UK) to Calais (France) route.
The data published for February presents a mixed operational snapshot. Freight traffic showed only a marginal decline, while passenger traffic experienced a noticeably larger percentage reduction in the month. Getlink has pointed to a known calendar-driven timing issue rather than citing other operational or market disruptions.
Context and implications
- LeShuttle Freight - 94,332 trucks in February 2026, down 1% year-on-year.
- LeShuttle passenger vehicles - 114,467 in February 2026, down 6% year-on-year.
- Year-to-date totals - more than 190,000 trucks and more than 235,000 passenger vehicles transported since January 1, 2026.
These figures are operational metrics that affect transport and logistics planning for the cross-Channel corridor. Getlink's reference to the holiday calendar as a driver of the passenger decline frames the change as seasonal timing rather than a structural demand shift.