Transport and logistics infrastructure in the Thames Gateway

Gareth John

The Thames Gateway is one of the key regions in the UK where advances in the transport and logistics infrastructure are a strategic and vital part of the region’s overall economic growth.

The Thames Gateway is home to some of the most innovative transport and infrastructure developments including High Speed 1, Crossrail, the revitalised canal system along the Lower Lea Valley and the forthcoming multimodal hub, London Gateway.  For this region, located with superb connections to London, the rest of the UK and Europe, advances in integrated transport networks and multimodal capacity are a foundational factor in future growth.

The UK Government target to make supply-chains more integrated, sustainable and carbon efficient in order to support future growth and efficiency in the freight industry is crucial, not only for the smooth delivery of goods throughout the country but also for its impact on economic growth.  As Eddington’s transport study showed, the performance of our transport networks will be a crucial enabler of sustained productivity and competitiveness as it reduces journey times, expands supply-chain options and provides more and alternative transport paths across the UK.

In addition, a recent report by Invest Thames Gateway in collaboration with Professor Austin Smyth of The London School of Economics, revealed that the strength of a region’s transport networks is a factor of primary influence in investor decisions to locate in a region. In addition, the report showed that it is integrated transport networks that are the key determining factor in businesses’ decisions to locate in a region.

Clearly, the need for better supply-chains supported by a thriving and expanding integrated transport network is essential, not only for the speedy delivery of goods but for the future economic growth of the UK.

Yet, whilst the imperative is clear, the reality remains muddled: massive untapped potential in the UK’s supply-chain network, disjointed transport systems and a lack of co-operation between the different transport modes.  It is clear that we need to rethink the transport network potential in the UK in order to provide a more sustainable and predictable supply-chain capable of being forecasted come rain, shine or ash cloud.

Huge untapped potential
The need to decongest our roads in order to reduce carbon emissions and alleviate pressure is clear.  The alternatives for freight transport via sea and rail in the UK and within Europe are potentially huge and yet remain untapped.
The Channel Tunnel, for example, has reserved capacity for 35 through freight trains every day in each direction.  At present, of these 70 reserved paths, less than 15 are used, each carrying around 35-40 articulated lorry loads each way.  In addition, most export trains return to the continent empty.  If the additional 55 paths were used and loaded to capacity, this would represent the equivalent of removing more than 2,000 lorries from the M20 corridor per day.
When it comes to road haulage, around one-quarter of lorry mileage involves empty running whilst planning controls and operating restrictions mean that weekend and night-time deliveries are restricted in many urban areas.  As a result, more than 90% of road haulage operations are made in the week with only 8% at weekends.  Clearly, with more joined-up operations and flexible working hours, there would be enormous scope to spread road freight across a smaller number of vehicles over a larger part of the day and a greater part of the week.  This would reduce energy use and emissions and free up infrastructure capacity.

Key transport hub for future growth in the UK
Within the UK, the Thames Gateway represents a key region where advanced transport infrastructure and multimodal connections present advantages and opportunities for future massive supply-chain growth.  The ports in the Thames Gateway are amongst the busiest in the UK and serve major international deep sea routes, Northern European routes and local, short sea routes around the North Sea.  Several major rail routes cross the Thames Gateway, connecting with Europe via the Channel Tunnel and with the rest of the UK, with multi-customer intermodal rail services operating to and from Spain, the Midlands and the North West.

There are also a number of established and growing multimodal hubs within the Thames Gateway, including Barking and Dagenham, London Southend Airport, the Port of Tilbury and the plans to create further hubs at Howbury Park (Erith), Northfleet, and Ridham Dock.  In addition, and in a league of its own, London Gateway is set to provide major new links between sea, rail and road, along with a major new logistics park for national and international traffic.

These developments, backed by significant investment from the UK Government, are helping create a region where business-critical transport and infrastructure developments can pave the way for increased economic growth.  Together with the considerable infrastructure improvements that this area has already experienced and will enjoy over the coming decade, this will translate into some significant accessibility gains for key locations.

For the express freight sector, the Thames Gateway can now tap into a network of high speed rail routes able to convey mail and parcels at up to 300 km/h (186mph) and similar opportunities being opened up by investment in London Southend Airport.  Pilot services are being developed to unlock the freight potential of high speed rail, using new rolling stock derived from the successful ‘TGV’ electric passenger trains to link the Thames Gateway with hub airports in mainland Europe, providing a transit speed comparable with air, but with a much lower carbon footprint, smaller even than road haulage.

The way forward for the Thames Gateway
Nick Gallop, director of transport consultancy Intermodality, suggests that a three-tiered approach is required over the short, medium and long-term.

In the short-term, the priority is to exploit the capacity within under-utilised infrastructure networks.  This could be done in a number of ways.  The key is to make better use of available infrastructure and services, both for long distance and local movement of goods.  This cannot be done without first recognising the opportunities available.  Existing routes need to be better mapped to highlight multimodal options and hubs.  These then need to be better marketed and communicated to enhance awareness of the potential to join up the modes and to transport freight in a more logical and connected way.  Ultimately, without knowledge of the networks that exist and the ways in which the modes can be joined, we will continue to see massive waste across the transport and logistics sector.

Over the medium-term, the priority is to improve the capability of existing networks.  Undoubtedly this will require funding to pump-prime pilot services and to address technical and commercial obstacles.  In order to cope with increased demand across the different modes it would be necessary to increase the use of IT systems that map the integrated supply chain and predict and plan the most efficient routes.

Finally, the long-term goal is to ultimately develop new corridors and connecting routes between and within these networks.  The risk here, however, is in being over-prescriptive or unrealistic in the predictions for the future based on today’s requirements.  The priority going forward, should therefore remain to ensure maximum use of existing infrastructure networks and across the different modes.

Conclusions
It is clear that there is massive potential within the UK to support improved supply-chains by exploiting the existing untapped transport and infrastructure networks.

This will require greater participation between the modes and more joined-up thinking across the supply-chains if our full potential is to be realised.

The Thames Gateway occupies a strategically important location and is a priority region for transport and infrastructure development.  As such, it demonstrates the potential for greater collaboration across the supply-chain networks supported by a robust transport system and availability across the different modes.

For the Thames Gateway, as with the rest of the UK, advances in our integrated and multimodal transport networks will ultimately bolster further economic growth.

Gareth John is Managing Director of Invest Thames Gateway. For further information, visit: www.investthamesgateway.com

Published: 18/06/2010