Rail route to France bypasses London
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• by Guy Sheppard A company planning a HO-RD rail service for trucks between Liverpool and northern France has unveiled a new route which avoids going through London.
Central Railway predicts that the E5.5bn scheme will take 40% of international truck journeys off Britain's roads. If approved by parliament next year, the five-year construction project could start in 2003.
The idea of a dedicated route for carrying trucks dates back to the early 1990s but the original proposal was rejected because of the disruption involved. The new route would have much less impact on the environment and existing infrastructure, so it is likely to be viewed more favourably by the government.
Most of the route goes along existing rail corridors. The most costly and controversial sections are where it runs alongside the M25 south-west of London and where it passes through a tunnel under the North Downs between Leatherhead and Redhill in Surrey.
The scheme would be entirely financed by the private sector, Andrew Grittin, chairman of Central Railway which is said to have more than 3018 shareholders, says: "The route will take more than 5,000 lorries off the M25 every day and will contribute enormously to the government's agenda for reducing road congestion. In effect, what we are doing is extending the highly successful Channel Tunnel shuttle for lorries to the Midlands and the North. No existing railway is capable of tieing this."
Mike Freeman, head of international operations for the Road Baulage Association, says the organisation has an open mind on the proposal, but adds: "We welcome any initiative to cut the costs of haulage. It could help make better use of drivers' hours over long, international journeys."