Completion of EES pre-registration zones on Eurotunnel terminals

In line with its Entry and Exit System (EES) preparation planning, Getlink has completed works on the new pre-enrolment building on the Eurotunnel Terminal in Folkestone, including the installation of biometric data capture kiosks.  

On 27 August 2024, Getlink welcomed MP Seema Malhotra, Minister for Migration and Citizenship, onto its UK terminal to see firsthand, the completed infrastructure and its preparations ahead of the EU’s new regulation, due to be introduced in November 2024. 

 For the implementation of a successful EU EES border system, Getlink has invested 80 million GBP over the last three years on the Eurotunnel terminals in Folkestone and Coquelles. The investment programme includes major works to modify the terminal infrastructure and to accommodate additional control space for new technology and for the French Border Police (PAF).  

Yann Leriche, CEO of Getlink “The redesign of our terminals and the completion of the civil works are important achievements that have allowed us to optimise our traffic flows. The Channel Tunnel is the busiest land border in France, it is thus essential to offer a service that is compliant with the upcoming EES regulation while maintaining a high level of fluidity, exactly what our customers look for when crossing with LeShuttle.”  

New pre-registration areas  

7,000 m² covered zones of have been created for vehicles on each terminal in Folkestone and Coquelles. The pre-registration area in Folkestone features a new, fully enclosed drive-through zone to provide all year weather protection for passengers whilst they use the EES control bays and biometric kiosks. The area can accommodate up to 53 vehicles simultaneously. Each individual vehicle bay will be equipped with two static enrolment kiosks for passengers to conduct the necessary biometric checks (fingerprint and facial scans), which will be required for all non-EU nationals entering the European Union. 

A total of 224 kiosks have been installed across the two terminals. Supplied by French manufacturer, IN Group, the biometric kiosks, have been specifically designed for car passengers and the vehicle environment.  To validate the efficiency of the enrolment kiosks, two testing sessions have been carried out with over 180 voluntary passengers. The participants found the biometric equipment to be modern, fast and easy to use.  

In addition to the pre-enrolment areas, we have installed dynamic signage and an intelligent lane allocation system that recognises the status of passengers in the vehicle (EU nationals, non-EU travellers to the EU or travellers who already registered with EES). On arrival at check-in, the vehicle number plate is read by a camera. The system then combines the vehicle plate number with the advanced passenger information entered by the customer during the booking to determine the vehicle status. The vehicle is then guided intuitively and rapidly to the correct parking space.  

Traffic simulation  

As part of the civil works preparation, Getlink developed a digital twin of the terminal layout using artificial intelligence (AI). Virtually evaluating different infrastructure configurations and scenarios and reproducing peak day conditions allowed for the most relevant choice of operating model. The system has thus been sized to accommodate up to 2,000 passengers, or 700 vehicles per hour, and to maintain high traffic flow rates at the border crossing. The aim was also to make the entire route through the terminal as seamless as possible by rethinking and redesigning the entire process.