Without getting into politics and long term plans .
But forget not they are trying to earn road and rail transport from oil.
By 2040 no new internal combustion engines will become sale ( unless some super cheap synthetic zero emmisions. Fuel is made - very unlikely in 20 years !.).
So the idea of pushing Stobart to increase polluting trucks onto roads , ever more controlled and taxed , in the long term is not attractive .
Further short sighted views of rail usage robbed the nation of lines ( Eg Borders route - shift slow frieght from WCML - speeding up long distance traffic).
Closer to Stobart ( ish) the Route from Galashwils to the ECML ironically both now official options ( or both!).
Not to mention similar schemes nation wide .
Air travel has its role to play in a this too!.
Near in mind the big airports full up , perhaps regional services disperse along with cargo to other airports .
We must start having sensible discussions about , UK transport use that will likely out live all of us here.
An example - Carlisle may work , there again it may not .
There is nothing to say that with the largest road and rail haulage firm it could not grown to be a very successful cargo operation.
All to often on these pages you look back at ideas that forum users fair, lynch people for suggesting .
Only for a few years hence for the ' never going to happen scenarios ' very much happening and being successful.
Just wait and see. I agree it's location is unique , it's facilities are not welcoming . However there it is.
And Stobart lest you forget they have usually made a success outvof whatever they touch.
Road , rail and Southend !.
Was that not a a failed no hope airport until they came in ?.