Extract from Oral answer (Lords) on Rail Freight: Channel Tunnel - Feb 24
Thursday, 25 February 2021 08:24
Lord Young of Cookham (Con): My Lords, is not one of the barriers
referred to in the Question the fact that gauges in the UK restrict
the destination of much of the freight traffic coming through the
tunnel? What progress is being made with the gauge enhancement
programme to make it easier to send more freight through the
Channel Tunnel by rail? The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State,
Department for Transport (Baroness Vere of Norbiton) (Con): This is
a fascinating area and I thank my...Request free trial
(Con): My Lords, is not one of the
barriers referred to in the Question the fact that gauges in the UK
restrict the destination of much of the freight traffic coming
through the tunnel? What progress is being made with the gauge
enhancement programme to make it easier to send more freight
through the Channel Tunnel by rail?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Transport ()
(Con): This is a fascinating area and I thank my noble
friend for raising it. We are developing a number of loading gauge
enhancement projects to extend the strategic freight network of
routes to offer the greatest flexibility for carrying intermodal
shipping containers on standard wagons. We are working on
the Great Western main line between
Didcot and Bristol, on the Midland main line between Syston and
Trent and, as I have mentioned, we are looking at alternative
routes to the Channel Tunnel. Clearances for W10 and W12 will
probably offer fairly poor value for money, so further development
is more likely to consider W9A, which would allow containers on
specialist wagons with lower decks.
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