§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he plans to commission a study on the implications of continental-gauge freight operations into the United Kingdom and the effect upon existing freight operations to and from the existing regions;
(2) when he last discussed with the chairman of British Rail the implications of building a continental-gauge freight route to London.
§ Mr. FreemanBR is confident that it has sufficient capacity on its existing lines to cope with forecast increases in international freight and its limited programme of structure gauge enhancements on specific route sections will enable some 95 per cent. of swap bodies and containers used on the continent to travel to the BR network of regional channel tunnel freight terminals. Operating continental gauge freight wagons in the United Kingdom would require either the construction of new lines or very costly modifications to existing lines and rolling stock. It is envisaged that the new channel tunnel rail link to London would be built to continental gauge. My Department is considering with British Rail the revenue and cost implications of designing this link to accommodate freight as well as passenger trains, compared with alternative ways of providing additional capacity for freight movements.