France and Britain spent six years tunnelling beneath the English Channel until both sides met 40 metres below the seabed in 1990, creating a 50.5-kilometre rail link between Britain and Europe.

For several centuries, the English Channel has been the natural divide between Britain and mainland Europe. Getting across was possible only by ferry or by air, often in difficult weather conditions. In the late 20th century, Britain and France were finally linked by the 50.5-kilometre Channel Tunnel, a major engineering feat.

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