A Motorail revival?

With our country’s travel needs changing in front of our eyes, now is the time for the railway industry to produce innovative ideas and fresh initiatives.

The world is slowly acknowledging the climate change argument, and that will be reflected in how and where we travel in future.

But road transport is also under the green microscope, with the UK government already putting sell-by dates on the sale of petrol and diesel cars. Electric-powered road vehicles will be the norm, although this will require better battery technology with the logistical challenges of recharging already well documented.

So, are future limitations for car drivers an opportunity for the railway to re-invent the transport of vehicles by train? Is Motorail an idea that has arrived again?

Plentiful Mk 3 or Mk 4 coaches that are now surplus to requirements are destined for scrapyards. Can they be converted for vehicle-carrying with sideloading, instead of the previous end-loading Motorail vans which required labour-intensive shunting operations at journey’s end? Eurotunnel has side-loaders, so it can be done.

Class 91 haulage at up to 125mph should easily be achieved

for minimal fast-line occupancy and competitive journey times.

The kudos of operating such a green, user-friendly Motorail service would not be lost on the climate-conscious society in which we now live, and is therefore surely worth investigation.

Jim Reside, Chiswick