Mr. David Howellasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will publish the latest estimate available to him of the cost of building (a) twin 6m rail-only tunnels connecting the British and continental rail networks, (b) a single 7m tunnel with facilities either end for handling roll-on, roll-off lorry traffic on a shuttle system and (c) twin 7m tunnels as above.
§ Mr. Tom KingI have no estimate of the cost of twin 6m rail-only tunnels, which have not been advocated by any of the promoting groups.
The United Kingdom-French study group which reported in June 1982 (Cmnd. 8561) estimated, at January 1981 prices, the most probable cost of single and twin 7m tunnels with vehicle shuttle at £1,537 million and £1,877 million respectively. These figures comprise only the cost of the link and portal infrastructure.
Mr. David Howellasked the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates he has received of the cost of building 6m rail-only twin tunnels under the Channel; what political and financial guarantees would be required by the owners and operators of such a facility; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Tom KingNone. Attention has been focused on a single 6m tunnel which would cater adequately for conventional rail traffic only and on single or twin 7m tunnels, which could also provide a shuttle service for road vehicles. The conditions under which these or any other form of fixed link would be financed by the market are currently the subject of study by a group of British and French banks.
Mr. David Howellasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has made any assessment of the amount of container traffic that would be diverted from road to rail if a service were made available to transport containers by rail from British railheads direct into the continental rail networks via a rail-only Channel tunnel.
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§ Mr. Tom KingOn the basis of the traffic projections made by the United Kingdom-French study group for the year 2000, I estimate that about 250,000 tonnes of container traffic would be diverted from road to rail.
Mr. David Howellasked the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to make a statement on the outcome of current financial studies of a fixed Channel link.
§ Mr. Tom KingI expect to receive within the next few months the report of the group of British and French banks studying the financial feasibility of the various schemes for a fixed Channel link which have been advanced. I cannot say now when I will be ready to make a statement.
Mr. David Howellasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has made any estimate of the reduction in rail freight costs that would result from building a direct rail link between the British and continental rail systems.
§ Mr. Tom KingNo. The aim of the economic analysis so far carried out has been to compare the total cost of carrying traffic forecast for the various forms of fixed link under consideration with the cost of carrying that traffic by sea and air.
Mr. David Howellasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has made any estimate of the effect on the volume of road freight on British roads of linking the British and continental rail networks through a twin, rail-only, tunnel under the Channel.
§ Mr. Tom KingNo. But the United Kingdom-French study group estimated that about 7 per cent. of roll-on roll-off freight traffic would divert to conventional rail via a single, rail only tunnel. On the basis of the group's traffic projections for the year 2000 this represents about 2 million tonnes in addition to which there is the diversion of road container traffic of about 1/4 million tonnes.