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IE Dover Harbour Board sees little scope for the proposed annel tunnel, although it accepts that better rail connecns with the Continent are a desirable objective.
A memorandum to Transport lister Norman Fowler and the use of Commons Select Corntee on Transport says that advantages claimed for a rail nel do not justify the expenire envisaged.
Frain ferry services can be 'rated economically and with iimal delays in loading or oading, and this would be a re advantageous solution, s the Board.
t questions whether any re freight traffic would be .3rted to rail by a tunnel than Id be diverted by developing potential of a train ferry ser. Such a service would cost a tion of the tunnel cost, the Tiorandum points out.
he memorandum quotes ish Rail as reporting that its rthem Region is a commuter way with little or no spare acity, especially at peak iods. The Board doubts 3ther an additional 120 ls a day can be slotted into timetable.
'he Board claims that there is ly congestion at the port and lc flows are speedy and undered. While the Board accepts BR's claims of significant time savings, it feels that the saving of an hour or so on a journey can hardly be considered significant for freight. If BR envisages time-saving due to streamlined controls, there is no reason why the same could not be done for surface transport.
The memorandum also claims that while France favours greater investment in improved train ferry facilities, this view has not been shared by British Rail until very recently.
Future projects at Dover currently include plans for road improvements in the port area and the acquisition of between three to five hectares of land to accommodate growing traffic.