So to build extra road space for even more cars and lorries to clog up, instead of creating additional rail space to operate faster trains to move even more thousands of people and tonnes of freight?
Creating that extra road space over the decades I have witnessed has just not worked, but with all the current transitional difficulties the railways are shifting even more passengers than ever before, most of whom do arrive on time or near enough. Unlike driving from the south east to, say, The Lake District and maybe arriving some time after 11 hours of "parked" driving.
In any case, after reading what others think is going to happen soon to the private motor car, we will all be grateful for an advanced, high tech, joined up public transport system!
Trains are now significantly slower - Brum to London used to be under 1h20m by 2 very different routes before railtrack decided HS2 would keep them in work. Trains were artificially slowed to make HS2's 55mins (going from nowhere useful to nowhere useful) seem worth the £28b-£50b (for phase 1) of taxpayers money, depending which set of figures from HS2 Ltd to chose to use.
Additionally, the Northern lakes are approx 3.5-4hrs from here, and Dover is 2-2.5hrs from here. Assuming you are my side of Dover, where does 11hrs come from?
And as it happens, 3yrs ago my mum came up on hols with us one the Kirkstone Pass. Her first comment when I collected her from Windermere was that she should have driven...
We need to forget about dicking around with 18th century technology. Its shit.
It came from travelling M20 with hold ups, M25 with nothing but stop and start from Clacketts Lane services all through to past M4 junction, then M1 road works, and even more on M6 with accidents (plural) around Birmingham right through to M62 junction, with being "parked up" most of the time, then heavy traffic all the way through to Keswick, until straight forward running to Lake area.
Your 3.5 hours belongs 30 years in the past when I, travelling on business roughly averaging 100+mph could get from Bristol to the Whitley Bay Area in that time by setting off at 0330 hours.
Travelling to the Lakes, or to the North East now in 3.5 hours, without seriously breaking speed limits, having accidents, getting arrested or losing your licence / life during realistic day time driving periods, or being On Top Gear is, I suggest, just a fantasy.
Even when using the M6 (Toll) around Birmingham you will be lucky to travel between the aforementioned places in under 5 hours with good going. The M25 section alone can cost 1.5 hours in lost time, let alone the dreaded M6.
As for "Victorian" transport (not "18th century") never forget the motor car was invented in that era! So, if I placed a bet on what form of transport will last until the end of the 21st century between the combustion engined vehicle or the train it must be the latter, but in a form most of the public now cannot predict.