Motorailn.
/ˈməʊtə(ʊ)reɪl/, U.S. /ˈmoʊdəˌreɪl/ Chiefly British.
A rail service whereby cars are transported together with their drivers and passengers.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > rail travel > [noun] > operation of railways > specific type of service
shuttle service1892
rail link1910
underground service1926
Motorail1968
1968 Daily Tel. 6 Jan. 10/6 This year British Rail will have nearly 100 more Motorail trains, giving a total carrying space for 90,000 cars.
1971 Country Life 25 Nov. 1463/3 British Rail unveiled their plans for 1972 Motorail... The 27 routes to be operated will have a combined capacity for 120,000 cars and over half a million passengers.
1991 Choice Jan. (Suppl.) 4/2 Complete freedom of movement is assured with a car, but if the distance is too great you could consider using Motorail all or part of the way.
1999 Daily Tel. 30 Mar. 15/2 The Deputy Prime Minister..hailed the ‘imagination’ of the private sector in reviving motorail transport four years after it was halted by British Rail.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1968