HGV driver shortage - an opportunity for rail?

 Michelle Meagher in the Guardian sees a bleak future for convenience stores as a result of the plethora of online shopping apps. But these still depend on a supply chain where large lorries form a link or links. One advantage which locally-owned stores have is that their owners need only vans under the 3.5 ton weight limit and thus do not need a HGV licence to pick up supplies. There may be scope for more warehousing near rail stations where bulk supplies of non-perishables can be delivered more efficiently than by road, leaving the final stage to be completed by the local store-keeper with his or her light van.