Umshikashika Womhubhe

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EBRITHANI

ABANYE babheka ukwakhiwa komhubhe manje ohlanganisa iNgilandi neZwekazi laseYurophu ‘njengomklamo omkhulu waleliKhulu Leminyaka.’

Kulobubuciko bobunjiniyela bokuklama imigwaqo, izisebenzi zaseBrithani nezaseFrance ezingaba ngu-15 000 zabambisana zisebenzisa imishini emikhulu yokubhola imihubhe eyafekethiswa ngokuthi uBrigitte, uCathérine, uPascaline, uVirginie, no-Europa. Zibambisene zakha umhubhe wangaphansi kwamanzi omude kunayo yonke emhlabeni ngaphansi kwalokho abaseBrithani abakubiza ngokuthi iChannel futhi abaseFrance abakubiza ngokuthi i-Manche.a Kodwa ukuphumelela kwazo bekunobunzima nezithiyo. Kwafa amadoda ayisishiyagalolunye phakathi nalomklamo.

Izithiyo Eziningi

“Kunemiklamo embalwa ebhekene nobandlululo olujulile noluhlala isikhathi eside kunokwakhiwa komhubhe kajantshi phakathi kweDover neCalais,” kwasho isikhulu sikahulumeni waseBrithani uWinston Churchill ngo-1936. Ngo-1858, lapho iPhalamende laseBrithani lizwa ngesiphakamiso sokwakha umhubhe ngaphansi kweChannel, kubikwa ukuthi uNgqongqoshe Palmerston wababaza: “Ini! Ninesibindi sokusicela ukuba sinikele emsebenzini onenhloso yokunciphisa ibanga esilithola lilifushane kakade?”

Ngaphambi kwalokho, ngo-1802, unjiniyela wezezimayini waseFrance, u-Albert Mathieu-Favier, wayehlongoze ukwakha umhubhe okhanyiswa ngezibani onoshimula abavele ngaphezu kwamagagasi ukuze bafake umoya ozodingeka emakalishini adonswa amahhashi. Nokho, lelicebo alizange liphumelele.

Ngo-1856 enye indoda yaseFrance, unjiniyela uThomé de Gamond, yatusa ukwakhiwa komhubhe kajantshi ohlanganisa iFrance neNgilandi. AbaseFrance bavuma, kodwa abaseBrithani babemanqikanqika. Ngaphandle kokudumala, ngokulandelayo ude Gamond wazihlanganisa noWilliam Low, unjiniyela wezezimayini waseBrithani. Khona-ke, ngo-1872, uLow kanye nonjiniyela ayesebenza naye uSir John Hawkshaw basungula inkampani yokuqoqa imali yokuxhunywa kweChannel. Ngo-1880, imishini yokubhola eyayiklanywe uColonel Beaumont yaqala ukumba isuka eShakespeare Cliff, eduze naseDover, naseSangatte, ogwini lwaseFrance. Ngemva kwamamitha angu-1 000 umsebenzi wema lapho uhulumeni waseBrithani ehoxa kulomklamo ngenxa yokwesaba ukuhlaselwa ngezempi.

Umzamo olandelayo waba ngawo-1920, lapho kwembiwa umhubhe wokuhlola ongamamitha angu-130 eduze naseFolkestone, eNgilandi. Nalapho futhi ukwesaba kweBrithani ukuhlaselwa kwamisa umsebenzi. Ngawo-1970 kwaqala kabusha ukumbiwa kwalomhubhe, kodwa kwema lapho uhulumeni waseBrithani ehoxa ekusekeleni.

Khona-ke, ngo-1986 kwasayinwa isivumelwano seChannel Tunnel. Lapho siqinisekiswa ngonyaka olandelayo iFrance neBrithani, savumela ukuba umsebenzi uqale ngentshiseko.

Umshikashika Wezimali

Iqembu lezinkampani ezizimele zaseFrance nezaseBrithani (ezazaziwa njengeqembu ngokuthi i-Eurotunnel) lagunyaza i-Transmanche-Link (TML), iqembu lezinkampani zokwakha eziyishumi, ukuba iklame futhi yakhe lomhubhe. Ngokuphikelela kukahulumeni, wonke lomklamo wawuzokhokhelwa ngemali yezinkampani ezizimele.

Ngemva nje kweminyaka emibili lomsebenzi uqalile, kwadingeka ukuba i-Eurotunnel ikhuphule izindleko zezimali kusukela ku-£5 230 000 000 (R27-000 000 000) kuya ku-£7 000 000 000 (R36 000 000-000). Ngo-1994 ukulinganisela kwezimali kwalomklamo kwase kukhuphukele ku-£10 000 000 000 (R51 000 000 000).

Umshikashika Wangaphansi Komhlaba

Eqinisweni iChannel Tunnel ayiwona nje umhubhe owodwa kodwa mithathu. Ngo-December 15, 1987, i-TBM (tunnel boring machine [umshini wokubhola imihubhe]) yokuqala yaqala ukusebenza eNgilandi, futhi eyayisizana nayo yaseFrance, iBrigitte, yaqala ngo-February 28 ngonyaka owalandela. Umsebenzi wayo kwakuwukumba umhubhe wokusebenzela ongamamitha angu-4,8 ubukhulu, oklanyelwe izinjongo zokunakekela umsebenzi nezimo eziphuthumayo. Ama-TBM amakhulu abhola edwaleni ukuze avule imihubhe emibili eyinhloko esetshenziswayo, ngamunye ongamamitha angu-7,6 ubukhulu lapho ulinganiswa.

“EShakespeare Cliff, semba umgodi omkhulu,” kulandisa uPaul, owasebenza kulomhubhe. “Lapho wehla, wawuthola umoya obandayo, onomswakama uze ufike ezansi, lapho umoya wawugcwele khona isisi se-diesel esivela kuyo yonke lemishini. Njengoba uhamba kulomhubhe, umoya wawuba nomswakama futhi ushise kakhudlwana.”

Phakathi emhubheni, kwakusebenza ama-TBM angu-11. Amathathu ayemba ashone ngasezweni esuka eShakespeare Cliff eya ngasohlangothini lwesiteshi saseBrithani esingaphandle nje kwaseFolkestone. Amanye amathathu aya ngasolwandle ngaphansi kweChannel ukuze ahlangane namathathu aseFrance ayeqale emgodini oseSangatte. Ama-TBM amabili ayesele abhola lemihubhe emithathu kusuka lapho kuya ngasezweni esiteshini saseCoquelles, ngaseCalais.

Umshini iBrigitte wawusebenza ngezindlela ezimbili. Lapho umba enhlabathini ethambile, enezimfa, wawusebenza ngakho kokubili ibhola lawo nomzimba kuvaliwe ukuze umelane nomfutho wamanzi ongamakhilogremu angu-11 ngesentimitha-skwele ngalinye, okuphinda umfutho womoya ovamile izikhathi ezingaphezu kweshumi. Kodwa lapho usuphumile kulendawo, eyingxube yesihlabathi esithambile nobumba, wawusiphinda kabili isivinini sawo. Khona-ke, ngemva kwalolungqimba oluphakathi kwamamitha angu-25 kuya kwangu-40 ngaphansi kolwandle, iBrigitte yaqhubekela phambili ngasemshinini owawuhlangabezana nayo osuka ohlangothini lwaseNgilandi.

NjengeBrigitte, wonke lama-TBM ayengamafekthri ahambayo. Kusukela ebholeni lensimbi elinesihloko se-carbide kuya esitimeleni okusetshenzelwa kuso esingemuva, i-TBM enkulu kunawo wonke yayingamamitha angaba ngu-260 ubude! Idabula edwaleni, ngamabhola aphenduka kabili noma kathathu ngomzuzu, anikezwa amandla amaphampu asebenza ngamanzi aqiniswa izinsimbi ezivimbela ukushelela, enye i-TBM yaqopha umlando ngokubhola amamitha angu-426 ngesonto elilodwa, yasusa imfucumfucu, futhi yalinganisa nalembobo.

Ukuqondanisa Kahle

Ukuze aqondise lomshini phambili, umshayeli we-TBM wayebuka ama-computer nemishini yethelevishini. Ukusetshenziswa kweziphuphutheki kwasiza ekuhleleni umzila onembe nangemininingwane emincane ngaphambi kokuba kuqalwe ukumba. Amabhola amancane ayedabula amamitha angu-150 ngaphambili edwaleni, bese amasampula esihlabathi esithambile ebonisa indlela okufanele ilandelwe. Umsebe we-laser owawuqondiswa endaweni esheshe izwele ukukhanya emshinini wawenza umshayeli akwazi ukulandela umzila ofanele.

Emakhilomitheni angaba isithupha kuya kwayisishiyagalombili ngaphansi kweChannel, abembi bakha imihume yokushintsha eyayingase isetshenziselwe ukushintsha izitimela kusuka emhubheni owodwa kuya komunye lapho kuphakama isidingo. Njalo emamitheni angu-375, abasebenza ngemishini yezandla babenza amaphasishi ahlanganisa imihubhe yokuhamba neyokusebenza.

Benza nemihubhe yokunciphisa ukushisa ehlanganisa imihubhe emibili emikhulu, eme sasiyingi ngenhla komhubhe wokusebenza. “Kunjengephampu yakudala yokufutha ibhayisekili. Lapho ubeka isithupha sakho phezu kwalesisivalo, uyakuzwa lokhu kushisa,” kuchaza uPaul. “Izitimela nazo ziphehla ukushisa okukhulu kakhulu. Lezizivalo ziyavuleka ukuze zinciphise umfutho nokushisa kwezitimela ezidlulayo.”

Umshini iBrigitte kanye nomshini owawuhlangabezana nawo ohlangothini lwaseNgilandi yema lapho isiqhelelene ngamamitha angaba ikhulu. Khona-ke, ngokucophelela okukhulu, kwabholwa imbobo engamasentimitha amane esihlabathini esithambile. Ngo-December 1, 1990, umhubhe wavuleka emakhilomitheni angaba ngu-22,3 kusuka eNgilandi nasemakhilomitheni angu-15,6 kusuka eFrance. Cabanga umuzwa wenkululeko owaba khona lapho ukuhlola kokugcina kwembula ukuthi iphutha lokuqondanisa lemihubhe emibili lalingamasentimitha ambalwa nje kuphela! Khona-ke i-TBM yaseBrithani yashayelwa ukuze iyoshiywa ngezansi eceleni kweBrigitte. Abasebenza ngemishini yezandla baqedela lomsebenzi. Kamuva lemihubhe yokuhamba yahlanganiswa, futhi ama-TBM aseBrithani afakwa ezindaweni zangaphansi komhlaba. AwaseFrance ahlukaniswa futhi akhishwa emhubheni.

Kuyisidina Kodwa Kuyashesha

“Manje kunomoya othulile kulomhubhe,” kuphawula uPaul. “Kuyisidina ngempela. Njengoba uhamba kulomhubhe, akukho okubonayo ngaphandle kwembobo engavamile lapho kukhona imihubhe namapayipi okunciphisa ukushisa.” Lomhubhe wavulwa ngo-May 6, 1994, nakuba kuye kwalibaziseka ukuba usetshenziswe umphakathi. Ngakho, kunjani ukuhamba kuwo?

Ukuze uthole ukuthi kunjani, uyoshiya umgwaqo omkhulu eFolkestone noma eCalais, ungene endaweni yesikhungo, ukhokhe imali yohambo (kusukela ku-£220 [R1 030] kuya ku-£310 [R1 590] imoto ngayinye kuye ngokuthi iyiphi inkathi yonyaka), udlule lapho kuhlolwa khona izimpahla wehlele ezansi, uqhubekele esiteshini, bese ungena esitimeleni esiklanywe ngokukhethekile, i-Shuttle. Ngemva kwemizuzu engaba ngu-35 namakhilomitha angu-50, uphumela ngalé kweChannel. Phuma esitimeleni ungene ngokuqondile emgwaqweni omkhulu—indlela yokudlula elula nenokuthula ekuvumela ukuba uqhubeke ngokushesha nohambo lwakho. Noma uhlale esitimeleni esiya eLondon noma eParis—okunomehluko owodwa—uyofika eParis ngesivinini esingamakhilomitha angu-290 ngehora kanti eLondon uyofika ngesivinini esingamakhilomitha angu-80 ngehora. Umzila wokuhamba ngejubane elisheshayo osuka eFolkestone uye eLondon uyolunga ngo-2002!

Nokho, lomshikashika usaqhubeka. Kuqhubeka izimpikiswano ngokuqondene nomzila wesitimela esisheshayo ozohlanganisa iLondon neTunnel. Khona-ke, ungawakhohlwa lawoma-TBM anomsindo. Enye yawo, ebekwe ngaphandle kwesikhungo semibukiso salomhubhe eFolkestone, inophawu oluthi, “Iyathengiswa—Umnikazi Oyedwa Ocophelelayo,” yebo, ilungele omunye umshikashika!

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 15]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

ENgilandi

EFolkestone

ECalais

EFrance

[Izithombe ekhasini 15]

Ngezansi: Izisebenzi zigubha ukuqedwa komhubhe wangaphansi kwamanzi omude kunayo yonke emhlabeni

Kwesokudla: I-TBM

[Umthombo]

Workers: Eurotunnel Ph. DEMAIL; TBM: Eurotunnel