WITHOUT investment in rail, the docks will fail. That was the blunt message from civic leaders in Southampton to Tony Blair over growing concerns about delays to a planned £40m upgrade of the city's rail connections to the Midlands.

At a full council meeting last night, members of all three political parties voted unanimously to express their "serious concerns" that central government is failing to invest in the city's rail infrastructure.

Civic chiefs agreed to write to ministers, the Government Office for the South East and the Strategic Rail Authority to try to force rail bosses to upgrade the rail link.

The city's MPs John Denham and Alan Whitehead are also set to be lobbied in order to gain their support.

Earlier this month, the Daily Echo revealed how Digby Jones, the director general of the influential Confederation of British Industry, hit out at the slow progress in lowering tracks in Southampton so that a new generation of super-sized containers can enter the port.

According to transport experts, one freight train carries the equivalent of 75 lorries, reducing congestion and pollution.

During last night's debate, Councillor John Slade told members that the super-sized containers - all more than 9ft high high - were becoming the "industry standard" but could not get through Southampton's tunnel and many bridges on the rail line, forcing port operators to use goods lorries instead.

Conservative group leader Councillor Alec Samuels told members that the government was not investing in rail links to the docks.

The Labour group's Transport and Environment spokesman Councillor Richard Williams said: "Without investment in rail, the docks will fail."