Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon officially re-opened the Channel Tunnel on 9 February, after completion of repairs on the damaged section. A reduced service had been operating since September 2008, after there was a fire on an east-bound freight shuttle around 10 km from France. Eurotunnel will not be reducing rates to entice customers back, as many of them had remained loyal throughout the reduced service. The first freight shuttle through the Tunnel after the official opening took 32 minutes at full speed.