Alternatives To High Speed 2 (No. 3)

EDM number 198 in 2015-16, proposed by Kelvin Hopkins on 29/06/2015.
Categorised under the topic of Railways.

That this House believes that, further to sensible alternative passenger rail investments to High Speed 2, investment in new dedicated rail freight capacity should also be considered as a matter of urgency; urges the UK and Scottish Governments to assess the practical case for the GB Freight Route scheme, the proposal to build a freight line from the Channel Tunnel to Glasgow linking all the major regions of Britain to each other and the continent of Europe and Asia beyond; notes that the GB Freight Route would be built to a loading gauge capable of carrying full-scale lorry trailers on trains, not possible on Britain's existing rail routes beyond the Channel Tunnel rail link; and further notes that the proposed route could take some five million lorry journeys off Britain's roads each year as well as rail freight traffic from existing rail routes, freeing them up for more and faster passenger services, and would be built on old, track bed and underutilised lines so minimising construction costs and environmental impact.

This motion has been signed by a total of 3 MPs.