maKing a splash
European ports, such as the port of
Hamburg on the River Elbe, remain bustling
hives of activity, as global supply chains
search for efficient and cost-effective ways
to get their goods where they need to go.
wildlife through the construction of “fish ladders” – a series of
ascending pools that enables fish to migrate up the river.
Driving development
The move to test new transport options is picking up the pace in
London, where atkins has worked with Transport for London (TfL)
and local boroughs to develop alternative freight routes. as one of
the co-ordinators within the Freight Unit at TfL, Joe Dack identifies
and develops opportunities to reduce congestion on London’s already
overstretched transport system.
“We aim to get more traffic to shift from the roads to the river
and rail networks,” he says. “But we’re conscious that roads will always
play the major role in moving goods around London. The fact is that
water is only suited to certain categories, where it can be used cost-
effectively.” That said, where they do make sense, London’s waterways
are already playing a significant role in goods transport.
“in 2007, just under 1.8 million tonnes of goods were moved on the
Thames, including 720,000 tonnes of waste and 737,000 tonnes of
aggregates,” says Dack. “That equates to 176,000 lorry movements.”
TFL is currently working with partners, including atkins and
British Waterways, to construct prescott Lock in stratford, East
London. This will allow up to 1.75 million tonnes of bulk materials 27
to be moved by barge to nearby construction sites. This promises to
save up to 170,000 lorry journeys, equating to around 4,000 tonnes
of Co
2
saved.
There are also signs that the credit crunch and pressure from
the environmental lobby are leading more businesses to consider
the shift from road to water. For example, Tesco launched a scheme
in 2007 to move over 600,000 litres of wine a week by barge from
Manchester to Liverpool.
as atkins’ Thorne says, it is around the edges of the UK’s core
transport strategy that waterways will find their niche. “Rivers and
canals aren’t suited to ‘just in time’ or consumer goods, but that doesn’t
mean they have no role to play,” he says. “opportunities do exist.”
Europe is already ahead in terms of its capacity for water
transport, as well as having the will and financial backing to enable
its development. now it seems that economic and environmental
pressures could drive the UK to follow its lead.
haLf the inLand
10%
the rhine-
waterways in main-danube
the eu Can be waterway
1.8m
used by 1,000-
of europe’s road
passes through
tonnes of goods
tonne vesseLs
2
network suffers
from ChroniC
10 Countries
2
moved on the
thames in 2007
3
Congestion
2
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