The decision to run round London, along an existing transport corridor, follows preliminary consultation and the completion of a number of studies commissioned by Central Railway to find an alternative, maximising the use of existing transport corridors, for the portion of the route between the Chiltern line near the M40/M25 interchange and the line to Tonbridge.

The company had previously proposed a route through the west and south of London, running for the most part on existing lines and under and alongside the Brighton main lines corridor. Central Railway believes that M25 route will help relieve pressure on London's overcrowded transport system, by reducing congestion at some of London's most notorious transport bottlenecks.

The company's engineers considered 12 possible routes. The company chose this as its preferred route because of its engineering feasibility, reasonable cost and its low impact on the environment and existing infrastructure in relation to the other options. The route runs south from the Chiltern Line near the M40/M25 interchange, along the London side of the M25, with a tunnel under the North Downs between the area near M25 junction 9, north of Leatherhead, and near the M23/M25 junction. From there it follows the M23 corridor to the Redhill - Tonbridge line and the Channel Tunnel.

Central Railway is continuing to consult with Local Authorities, the Highways Agency and other parties about the detail of the route so as to minimise environmental impact. The company will also be consulting with local residents and landowners.

The company aims to have addressed all major concerns before submitting proposals to Parliament under the Transport and Works Act which it expects to do early next year. If Parliament approves the project, the details of the route and its impact will be further examined during the subsequent Public Inquiry.

"Central Railway's strategic goal is to provide a lorries-on-trains rail service between the north-west of England and continental Europe as a commercial alternative to long distance motorway journeys. In effect what we are doing is extending the highly successful Channel Tunnel Shuttle for lorries to the Midlands and the North. No existing railway line is capable of doing this."

"I believe that the route we have chosen is the most environmentally-friendly and keeps local disruption to an absolute minimum. It is both logical and feasible. The route will take over five thousand lorries off the M25 every day and therefore contribute enormously to the Government's agenda for reducing road congestion."

Central Railway has also announced today that it is looking at a number of possible sites in the M25 / Heathrow area in which to locate a roll-on roll-off terminal for lorries. This terminal will take lorries off the motorways as they approach the M25 from the West. There are to be no terminals south of this area. Other terminals will be located at major motorway junctions in the Midlands and the North.

In this way, lorries will be able to transfer directly from motorways on to Central Railway.

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  Central Railway is proposing to design, build and operate a new lorries-on-trains rail link connecting the North West to northern France. The line will run from Liverpool, via Manchester, Sheffield, the Midlands and London, through the Channel Tunnel to Lille in Northern France. In constructing the new line it is intended that a majority of the route will involve upgrading and reinstating existing or disused railways.


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  The railway will create a unique link into Europe as the only railway able to carry standard European freight and passenger trains (as well as any UK train) and standard road haulage equipment.


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  Independent estimates have indicated that Central Railway will generate some 5000 construction jobs alone over the five years of building. In addition, about 2000 permanent new railway jobs will be generated. Early studies have suggested that a further 6000 jobs will be created as a result of the improved transport links the railway would provide. Central Railway recently announced that it has reached agreement with six of the UK's leading environment organisations on the proposed relationship between the six organisations and Central Railway during the development of the project.


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  The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the first such agreement of its kind, means that Central Railway has now committed itself to working within a framework which has as its guiding principle the goal of protecting the environment.


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  The MoU, signed by the Environment Agency, English Heritage, English Nature, the Forestry Commission, the Countryside Agency and the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency (FRCA) provides a framework for the relationships. The MoU requires Central Railway to undertake an environmental impact assessment of the project and to agree its scope with the Agencies.