Runways to railways
From Transport Knowledge Wiki
 Publication record
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| Title
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Runways to railways
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| Subtitle
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Unlocking the potential of the Channel Tunnel
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| Publisher
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 Campaign for Better Transport
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| Authors
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 Silviya Barrett Stephen Goss Michael Solomon Williams
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| Date
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 April 2025
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| Summary, keywords and locations
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| Summary
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"The High Speed 1 (HS1) route from London St. Pancras and the connecting Channel Tunnel has seen a steady increase in international rail travel over the last 30 years. The UK Government is currently embarking on a once-in-a-generation programme of rail reform, involving the creation of a new governing body for infrastructure and services and bringing domestic rail service operation under public control. With international rail connectivity outside the scope of this process, its potential risks being overlooked. This report calls for a dedicated Government strategy for international rail to ensure its potential is fulfilled by unlocking the barriers to growth. It highlights the opportunity for international rail passenger growth, if more direct destinations are created. This can enable significant economic growth for the UK, through tourism spend, business productivity and wider economic benefits. However, only a limited number of destinations are currently being served. Therefore, despite popular support for rail as a sustainable form of travel, aviation dominates travel between the United Kingdom and continental Europe, accounting for 73 per cent of journeys. Of the train paths available through the Channel Tunnel, less than 50 per cent of the passenger capacity and ten per cent of freight capacity is used, so there is much potential for further increase in services."
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| Keywords
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 Heavy rail Aviation
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| Locations
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 United Kingdom
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| How to find this document
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| Publication
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 Live as of 23 April 2025
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| Archive
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 Archived on 23 April 2025
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