Eurotunnel has dismissed claims it is overcharging passengers travelling through the Channel Tunnel.

The European Commission has said passengers and freight are paying too much for using the track through the tunnel, which is operated by Eurotunnel.

In a media briefing, it called on the British and French governments to look into the pricing arrangements.

It claimed freight companies were deterred from using the Channel Tunnel because of the “excessive” charges, and that the tunnel was underused because of these charges. Around 43% of capacity is not used at present.

Siim Kallas, the EC vice-president, has been reported as saying: “’The Channel Tunnel is not being used to its full capacity because of these excessive charges.

"As a result, more freight is being carried on lorries instead of by rail, freight operators and their customers are being over-charged, and passenger are paying over the odds for their tickets. The current regime is also stifling growth in the rail sector.”

Eurotunnel responded by saying the Channel Tunnel is an integrated transport system (Le Shuttle) which gives passage to trains in return for an access charge.

Its charges were “transparent and not excessive” and had been agreed by the British and UK governments in the Railway Usage Contract (RUC), signed in 1987.

“We totally reject it,” a spokesman said. “Our prices are open and transparent and available to anyone to look at on our website.”

In a statement, Eurotunnel added: “The initial investment, entirely privately funded, was 15 billion Euros. This is different to all other European railway infrastructures, which are financed by states, The investment was made on the basis of traffic hypotheses calculated by the states and their operators.”

The spokesman said: “We have to price at a profitable level and one that makes sure our shareholders get some of their money back.”

Eurotunnel had “always sought the development of cross-Channel traffic and concentrates significant resources on this goal.

“Eurotunnel regrets that some major railway operators have had such difficulties in their domestic markets that they have abandoned cross-Channel traffic, leading to the visible reduction in volumes.”