Purpose
The line would carry goods lorries between the continent and the Midlands and north of England. It could also help facilitate railfreight connections between the north of England and the ports of Felixstowe and Southampton. Trains 1.5 km long would carry up to 80 lorry trailers each, in the manner of American piggyback services. It could be operated by diesel locomotives, at least in the first instance, in order to save on electrification costs.
The promoters state that lorries already make a modal interchange to go through the Channel Tunnel. The Central Railway scheme would simply make the interchange between points 400 km or more apart, rather than 40 km at present, saving haulage companies fuel and drastically reducing carbon emissions.
Read more about this topic: Central Railway (UK)
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