Thousands of Extra Lorries Bound for Oxfordshire Roads

11.28.52am GMT Wed 15th Nov 2006

Cross-Europe freight trains might become endangered species!

A flood of extra lorries could start to congest the A34 even more if a dispute over Channel tunnel railfreight is not resolved by the end of the month.

Lib Dem Euro-MP Chris Davies has warned colleagues across the country that prospects of transferring continental freight traffic from road to rail are set to hit the buffers.

A long agreement on transport charges between Eurotunnel and rail operators comes to an end on 30 November. Train operators claim that new costs proposed will bring railfreight through the Channel Tunnel to a shuddering halt.

Eurotunnel says its plans to start charging £8000 for every train. But EWS, Britain's largest railfreight operator, says that to compete with long distance lorries the maximum amount acceptable is nearer £300.

If a deal cannot be reached then from the start of December, goods will have to be transported to and from the continent by road resulting in a massive increase in traffic on roads such as the A34.

Oxfordshire Liberal Democrat Transport spokesperson, Cllr Bob Johnston, said: "Train operators are in cut throat competition with road haulage. A charge of £8,000 a train will kill stone dead any prospect of development of cross Europe freight by rail from the UK involving "open access" operators including EWS, and keep the whole lot on our roads.

"Billions of pounds of public money have gone into support for Eurotunnel. Now it's time for the Government to insist that the rate will encourage railfreight development rather than promote transport chaos on the A34."