The shortage of drivers boosts the case for rail a tunnel to Northern Ireland

A letter from John Barstow:
By Letters
Published 13th Nov 2021, 07:56 BST
More goods going by rail is a crucial ingredient of the ‘green revolution’More goods going by rail is a crucial ingredient of the ‘green revolution’
More goods going by rail is a crucial ingredient of the ‘green revolution’

The driver shortage issue has resulted in more retail chains including Tesco switching more from road to rail.

This is more evidence that the rail tunnel to Northern Ireland is a concept whose time to come. More goods going by rail is a crucial ingredient of the ‘green revolution’.

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First of all it will be a win for the dynamics of the UK internal market with particular reference to perishable goods. Secondly goods of the Republic of Ireland (RoI) could be trucked to Belfast for direct transit by train to continental Europe.

Letter to the editorLetter to the editor
Letter to the editor

All in all a win win. Plus more jobs for UK logistics sector through construction of a rail freight terminal in Belfast area.

On the pesky issue of the Northern Ireland protocol. Irish Sea checks are as unnecessary as they are on the UK/RoI border.

I work in retail and can directly testify that any modern retail delivery operation is almost worthy of George Orwell’s 1984 tracked from depot with latest remote technologies.

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Thus any notion of Great Britain supplies for Northern Ireland retail venues mysteriously “veering off track” is for the land of asteroids. However the construction of that Belfast tunnel will be to the benefit of UK, RoI and EU — and thus be leverage for Her Majesty’s Government in securing an outcome based upon simple pragmatism and common sense.

John Barstow, Pulborough, West Sussex

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Related topics:Northern IrelandTescoBelfastBen LowryRepublic of Ireland