Channel freight plan dropped

The company behind a pounds 3bn Channel Tunnel freight project rejected by MPs said last night it was withdrawing its application for outline backing.

The announcement by Central Railway came two days after the Commons threw out the plan for a new freight line between the Midlands and the Channel Tunnel amid widespread public opposition.

But the company denied this was the end of the plan to use disused and new rail routes to allow container trains to run every few minutes between the Channel Tunnel and Leicestershire.

The company said: "Following its rejection in the House of Commons, Central Railway considers it responsible to announce today that it has decided to withdraw its application.

"The company has no further comment to make at this stage."

Opposition to the line had focused on property blight, but operators and users of passenger services affected by the project had also objected.

More than 13,000 people living along the route lodged objections, and a 20,000-strong petition was handed in at Downing Street.

On Wednesday, MPs voted 172 to seven to reject an Order that would have allowed plans by Central Railway to go before a public inquiry.

Earlier, the Railways minister, John Watts, had said such a vote would mean the scheme, which came under a barrage of fire from MPs on both sides, was "effectively dead".

Mr Watts said the Government was neutral about the project, although it approved of the principle of moving more freight by rail.

The scheme would have used the trackbed of the old Great Central Railway to link a freight terminal at Lutterworth with London, with new tracks alongside other lines on its way to the coast.