Tunnelling began in 1988, and the 50.5-kilometre (31.4 mi) tunnel was officially opened by British sovereign Queen Elizabeth II and the French President François Mitterrand at a ceremony in Calais on 6 May 1994.[2] It is owned by Getlink, which charges a significant toll to Eurostar for its use.[56] In 1996, the American Society of Civil Engineers named the tunnel as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.[57] Along the current route of the Eurostar service, line speeds are 300 kilometres per hour (186 mph) except within the Channel Tunnel, where a reduced speed of 160 kilometres per hour (100 mph) applies for safety reasons.[58][59] Since the launch of Eurostar services, severe disruptions and cancellations have been caused by fires breaking out within the Channel Tunnel, such as in 1996,[60] 2006 (minor),[61] 2008 and 2015.[8]