Following the tough restrictions and economic challenges brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic, it is more important than ever for us to focus on the future potential of the region and deliver new opportunities for people in the North.
Freight and Logistics is an integral part of our work. Traditionally seen as a purely private sector entity, we’ve identified the industry as a key sector for enabling economic growth for the North of England.
The Enhanced Freight and Logistics Analysis shows a 33% increase in tonnes lifted within the North by 2050 which will play a significant role in providing goods and materials to achieve growth in GVA.
From a road perspective, 87% of freight movements use the road network in the North and over road, rail and inland waterway we predict an increase of over 60% in tonne km which reflects the large amount of freight that is moved over longer distances.
For ports, a third of the UK’s freight currently moves through the North’s ports against a population that only represents 23% of the UK total. We know we have the potential to do so much more. We’ve seen some significant investments at Liverpool, Immingham and Teesport, but there is a long way to go to ensure the North’s share increases and connecting the whole region in the right way is how we’ll make that happen.
This is the first pan-Northern Freight & Logistics Strategy. It builds on the outputs of our Strategic Transport Plan in developing a multimodal freight strategy for the North of England that can meet the current and future requirements of our region.
Learn moreBuilding on studies and analysis undertaken by TfN and bodies such as the Department for Transport (DfT), Network Rail, and National Highways, the aim of this strategy is to undertake an overarching analysis of freight requirements across road, rail, port and inland waterways in the TfN region, identify key constraints or challenges on the existing networks, and provide a list of possible areas of work, including developing business cases for interventions and policy solutions, that will best support economic growth and decarbonisation.
The strategy also sets out the key objectives for consideration within the context of our activity and role and articulates our policy positions in terms of freight and logistics.
Read the Strategy
“The Freight and Logistics sector is vital in helping us all get the things we need to go about our daily lives.”
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Our FREE #TfNTalks webinar brought together industry experts to talk about the importance of delivering a comprehensive Freight and Logistics strategy for the North of England.
The panel was made up of:
We have used our freight work to inform the corridor studies. This has allowed us to see the impact of growth on the roads and railways of both passengers and freight and what this means for the new or enhanced infrastructure we need.
Finalising the Freight and Logistics Strategy will set out the key investments in road and rail required to support a strong and growing sector in the North. We identify that our key priorities are:
These are backed up by connectivity priorities that link to our corridor studies, all supported and endorsed by partners including businesses from the ports and logistics sector.
To help drive economic growth, we need to take action through two overarching methods:
The Enhanced Analysis Report focuses on how the freight and logistics sector in the North could be enhanced and supported by Transport for the North.
Freight & Logistics Enhanced Analysis Report
Road freight plays a huge role in moving goods around the North – whether it’s delivering a car component to build the latest Nissan model or ensuring the latest Amazon order makes it to a customer on time. Whether we are moving things in a lorry or van, the way we shop and consume goods is changing. The infrastructure that’s needed to cope with this change needs to be carefully planned and designed.
It is often less expensive to handle goods by road compared with rail as it is free at the point of access, not restricted to a timetable, and there are lower handling charges. However, a more congested, less reliant road network could hinder these benefits.
The Major Road Network for the North includes those routes linked to key freight distribution and processing sites, we are developing metrics to ensure journey times and reliability on these roads can be maintained and improved. The road haulage industry is flexible and has already changed the way it operates logistically to ensure the increase in next day deliveries meets demand.
Road freight will not be able to meet the needs of heavy bulk markets, even with the emerging technological change, hence the need to consider how best to support moving more freight onto the rail network.
Read more on roadsEvidence shows that a step-change in economic growth in the North can only be achieved through significant improvements in transport connectivity between labour markets and our economic assets, combined with increases in the skills level and productivity of the North’s workforce.
It will take a joint effort across public and private sector partners to achieve our ambition of a transformed economy, but we are building a better understanding of current and future labour market and supply chain trends and how these will impact on transport demand. Understanding and supporting the needs of the North’s freight and logistics sector and our international gateways will be vital.
Read more on NPR
Reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality is now imperative for the freight and logistics sector. The Government’s Clean Growth Strategy includes the desire to work with the industry to reduce the impact of freight emissions and improve air quality across all modes including road, rail and shipping. There is a need to understand the different options for the North to move towards delivery of alternative fuelling and associated operations.
Decarbonisation in the North
“We must take action now to drive forward the decarbonisation of our freight industry and wider transport network, and Transport for the North is setting out our policies and plans through our upcoming Freight and Decarbonisation Strategies.”
For the end-to-end freight journey to be as efficient as possible, the North needs better surface access to ports, airports and intermodal terminals – enhancing the ‘first and last mile’ of these journeys, and in turn creating better road connections and additional rail freight paths.
Air freight has a significant economic value and industries that rely on transporting high-value goods quickly around the globe. Increasing the North’s direct long-haul air connections will increase its air freight capacity, meaning fewer goods need to be transported across the UK. In turn, this could reduce congestion and road-based carbon emissions on North-South corridors.
International Connectivity
Following our submission of statutory advice to DfT’s national decarbonisation strategy, Transport for the North will look push ahead with pilot projects using hydrogen and battery power on the rail network.
Our Strategic Transport Plan also included advice to Government to accelerate the introduction of electric vehicles and we were pleased to see the move to bring forward that date to 2035 from 2040.
And an important strategic plan for Transport for the North is developing more detailed policy positions on decarbonisation.
This includes exploring targets and pathways, collating a Greenhouse Gas Inventory for the North, and working with partners to develop a functional policy framework for delivery of the decarbonisation pathway.
Click on the links below to download
The aim of our Freight and Logistics strategy is to undertake an overarching analysis of freight requirements across road, rail, port and inland waterways in the Transport for
The updated report provides the baseline for understanding the North’s markets and travel patterns for road, rail, air, coastal shipping and inland waterway for freight.
Setting out the key messages on the case for investment in transport and our work programmes
A transformed North could see a 4% increase in productivity, equating to an increase GVA of almost £100 billion, and create up to 850,000 new jobs.
The first time the North has come together to outline the robust case for transformational transport investment across all of the North, to rebalance the UK economy
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