Rail into roads
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T was interested in the 'managing director of Scania GB, Dieter Merz's views on the Channel Tunnel (CM 24-30 March).
I believe what is needed is a road bridge over the Channel as the rail tunnel, in common with railways in general, will have limited capacity and will only be able to carry a small part of the traffic between Britain and France.
It is unfortunate that road users are so divided, with car users wanting to force trucks off the road on to the railways and truck users wanting to force car users out of their cars on to the railways.
The real solution lies in converting this vast system of routes which remains railbound into a really comprehensive network of motor roads.
British Rail uses only 3% of its network's potential capacity if it were converted into roads. Bringing in London commuters by express bus would require only half the land needed by rail.
The commuters themselves would get a much better deal, a cheaper, faster and more frequent service.
The railways are a terrible liability and the more the politicians and greens try to force us back into the nineteenth century the bigger the mess there will be. A Watkinson Harrogate