In January, amid much fanfare, the UK joined the New Silk Route as a freight container train arrived in London all the way from China (Silk Road route back in business, theguardian.com, 14 January). Now the Northern Ireland ports are on the doorstep of the North Atlantic and the great circle route. Thus a North Channel rail tunnel would not just interconnect the UK but also place us as the “hyphen” between two great trading routes, namely the New Silk Route and the transatlantic route. The upshot would be a real boon for the UK logistics sector and the north-south divide would be eased. And that is just part of the story. Amid the Brexit divisions the UK as a whole needs something to celebrate and raise morale.
John Barstow
Pulborough, West Sussex
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