Bring back Motorail now electric cars are here

rhr2000

I am looking at an electric car as a real option but range is still a limiting factor.
What would be fantastic would be to roll into a train near London and travel to Bristol, or Preston,or Edinburgh...charging my car while on the train.

This really would let the train take the strain but allow one to complete end journeys with luggage in your own car.
I know we used to have to have this and it's an old idea but with electric 150+ mile journeys are likely to be an issue for the longer term.
It works for channel tunnel / Germany /Italy etc. why not in the UK?
Any views.

AdrianC

Because British railways are already near to capacity, without having to have large vehicle-unloading yards near every major city. And that's before we consider the extra power supply requirements to the track to fast-charge even a few dozen electric cars.

If you want to do mixed-modal use, because your destination's not accessible by public transport, then get the train and hire a car.

Nodding_Donkey

Didn't Motorail die because it cost too much?

Johnmcl7

Nodding_Donkey wrote: »

Didn't Motorail die because it cost too much?

Everything with trains seems to cost too much even the sleeper for just a seat in a broken and worn down carriage is quite a bit more expensive than taking the plane. I like the idea of the sleeper pulling the cars along with so you could hop off the train after a night's rest and head off in the car but given the current sleeper costs (and I know the sleeper after Edinburgh is already towing three trains' worth of sleeper cars) the cost of taking the car would be crazy.

Even ferries seem daft now, I was looking at a trip to Europe and wanted to take my own car however while I didn't mind paying a bit more to take the ferry, the cost was crazy even allowing for the fact I'd need to pay for a hire car if I flew.

John

Jackmydad

Personally I don't mind what they introduce, as long as it's all fully self funding.
As the railways are run on (huge) subsidies from the taxpayer. I can't see that happening.

henry24

Just buy a good diesel if going long distances and forget electric until they get them to work for more than 150 miles

AdrianC

Johnmcl7 wrote: »

Even ferries seem daft now, I was looking at a trip to Europe and wanted to take my own car however while I didn't mind paying a bit more to take the ferry, the cost was crazy even allowing for the fact I'd need to pay for a hire car if I flew.

I went on the EuroTunnel to France. Two of us plus car, over Easter weekend, booked in Feb - £128 return.
We booked a ferry in March, for peak holiday summer. Again, two plus car. Cherbourg out (5+hr crossing), Bilbao back (26hr crossing) - £600 including outside cabin.

I don't reckon either of those is anything like excessive. Both are MUCH cheaper than flight plus hire car.

waamo

I was in La Rochelle last week. Flying and hiring worked out cheaper for the time we were there, especially when you factor in fuel costs.

In saying that it really horses for courses. I hated the hire car (Pug 108 for the record) so can appreciate why people would rather take their own car.

Turn_to_Grey

Bilbao back (26hr crossing) - £600 including outside cabin.

We did that last month, 2 adults, car, outside cabin both ways, Bilbao - Portsmouth 10th May and June 6th return, £560 all in.

stator

I've always thought motorail would be a success if it had significant investment.

There is capacity in most of the rail network, just not the west coast mainline between london and birmingham.

With investment the old routes could open, from Cornwall to Scotland and from London to Cornwall and London to Scotland. You would need large depots out of town to make loading easy.

With the price of petrol/diesel and electric cars I would certainly use the service but it would need a lot of advertising. I don't think most people even knew the old service existed.

Johnmcl7

AdrianC wrote: »

I went on the EuroTunnel to France. Two of us plus car, over Easter weekend, booked in Feb - £128 return.
We booked a ferry in March, for peak holiday summer. Again, two plus car. Cherbourg out (5+hr crossing), Bilbao back (26hr crossing) - £600 including outside cabin.

I don't reckon either of those is anything like excessive. Both are MUCH cheaper than flight plus hire car.

The eurotunnel is not bad but it was still more than the entire return flight and it's a lot of driving to get there.

The ferry was going to be around £425 (almost three times the cost the last time I weny by ferry and that was longer route) while a flight with one changeover would be £120 which meant it worked out cheaper to fly there, hire a BMW 7-series for the duration then fly back as well as taking a fraction of the time. That's not including petrol costs for the ferry either for the 500 miles or so of driving that would be needed for it.

If I chose a more sensible car, the plane option would have been far cheaper hence why I find the ferry costs excessive - shorter, less convenient trips by a cheaper method of transport shouldn't be several times more expensive.

John