From The Railway Magazine, December 1997 – The twinning of Eurotunnel Tri-Bo Shuttle locos with Swiss rail tunnels to mark the ‘Swiss 150’ celebrations was completed in September/October with two naming ceremonies at Cheriton terminal.
On September 25, loco No. 9025 was baptised with the name Jungfraujoch by the president of the Jungfraubahn board, Erwin Reinhardt, at the invitation of Eurotunnel group managing director Georges-Christian-Chazot.
The twinning of the Channel Tunnel loco with the Jungfraubahn is significant. It not only marks the wealth of interchange of knowledge effected between the two companies during the construction of the Channel Tunnel, but also bonds the highest and lowest railways in Europe, Junfraujoch station is 3,454 metres above sea level, while the Channel Tunnel at its deepest is 120 metres below sea level.
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Standard Eurotunnel style ‘stick-on’ reflective plates are carried by 9025, which also has a ‘Top of Europe’ legend and the date 1912 at the base. After the unveiling, No. 9025 led an additional 15.09 tourist shuttle to France.
A reciprocal naming took place in Switzerland on October 18, when the name Euro Tunnel was unveiled on Jungfraubahn BDhe 2/4 No. 209. The unveiling took place at Eismeer station, 3,160m above sea level inside Monch mountain in the tunnel section of the railway.
The rack mountain railway passenger vehicle was name by Johanna Evans, wife of James Evans, director of railway relations, Eurotunnel. During the baptism of car 209, Scotch whisky, French champagne and Swiss mountain milk were poured over the cab-end.
