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Don't dig this tunnel
ON MONDAY Sir Peter Parker is expected to visit the proposed site of the entrance to the cross-Channel railonly tunnel. There are those who think that British Rail's chairman might be more gainfully employed repairing the damage imposed on the economy by the recent BR/ASLEF dispute.
To take preferences one stage further, should not the Government decide that British Rail should be told to put its domestic house in order before it takes on new responsibilities? It must be some kind of British phenomenon that condones, even encourages a lossmaker of BR's proportions to expand.
A rail-only link with Europe would be "a Godsend to us," said a railway spokesman. Naturally since it would cut out, at a stroke, road and cross-Channel ferries.
But the monopolistic situation evolving from a railonly concept would result in poor service, high charges, higher costs, bigger losses and potential danger to our export traffic.
At the blow of a whistle, a shop steward at Cap Gris Nez or Dover could effectively blockade either port.
The ferries can continue to compete with the tunnel. But if the Freightliner experience is repeated, ridiculously low rates will be quoted to capture the traffic for rail on long-term contracts and we will have yet another "socially essential" loss-maker on our hands.