A new £15m deal will restore regular container services through the Channel Tunnel, shifting freight from trucks to trains.
The government-backed deal will help boost trade between the UK and continental Europe. While cross-Channel freight trains never completely stopped, regular container services have largely disappeared in recent years. What does pass through is limited to bulk, single-customer orders.
As a result, most freight is transported by ship and then on lorries, substantially increasing road traffic and pollution. The return of regular scheduled freight train services will ease traffic on the road network, particularly in the south-east at the Dartford Crossing and M20/M2 corridors, and decrease carbon emissions.
It will also enable British businesses to directly import and export goods via rail to France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
Rail minister Lord Hendy said: “This deal is a huge opportunity to reinvigorate rail freight by paving the way for the return of regular services...