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)
Famous quotes containing the word purpose:
“What if we fail to stop the erosion of cities by automobiles?... In that case America will hardly need to ponder a mystery that has troubled men for millennia: What is the purpose of life? For us, the answer will be clear, established and for all practical purposes indisputable: The purpose of life is to produce and consume automobiles.”
—Jane Jacobs (b. 1916)
“The purpose of getting power is to be able to give it away.”
—Aneurin Bevan (1897–1960)
“Since I do purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any purpose that
the world can say against it; and therefore never flout at me for what I have said against it; for man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)