Cross River Partnership (CRP), an impartial partnership organisation, is excited to launch an innovative, sustainable and transformative 6-month Trial of zero-emission deliveries from the Waterloo Freight Hub underneath Waterloo Station, supporting residents and businesses across London. The Waterloo Freight Hub will improve air quality across London by shifting freight journeys from polluting vans to electrically assisted cargo bikes, supporting communities to receive more sustainable deliveries at no extra cost.
CRP has been working closely with partners from Network Rail, the London Borough of Lambeth, the Department for Transport, London and Continental Railways, and Waterloo Station, to unlock the potential of underutilised space at Waterloo Station for a Freight Hub. A sustainable last-mile logistics courier, Delivery Mates, will receive, sort and send parcels by electrically-assisted cargo bikes from the hub across London.
The Waterloo Freight Hub has been funded by Defra, through the Smarter Greener Logistics programme, that aims to minimise the impact of freight on noise, air quality, traffic and pavement space by making improvements across 14 London boroughs and three London Business Improvement Districts (BIDs).
Image: Cross River Partnership
The 6-month Trial will see parcels received at an arch space, sized approximately 1,800 sq. ft, in the undercroft of Waterloo Station, by van. Parcels will then be sorted and sent across London to residents and businesses by 10 electrically assisted cargo bikes. This will ensure more Londoners receive deliveries by zero-tailpipe emission vehicles, helping to reduce congestion, improve productivity, air quality and the health of Londoners moving around the city.
This pioneering project could future-proof London as ecommerce and parcel deliveries continue to rise, alongside associated transport emissions. One quarter of London’s total emissions comes from road transport, with freight being responsible for a quarter of London’s transport emissions. With continued changes to shopping behaviour, the number of parcels delivered in London is expected to double by 2030, to potentially 1 billion parcels annually.
The Waterloo Freight Hub supports the delivery of Defra’s clean air targets, the Department for Transport’s decarbonisation plans, Network Rail’s Net Zero 2050 target and the London Borough of Lambeth’s Climate Action Plan, which includes a Net Zero target by 2030.
CRP will be sharing learnings from the trial to support the delivery of a longer-term, much larger, Waterloo Freight Hub, with middle-mile deliveries made by road, rail and river. The rail network is unique in being able to transport huge loads of goods at a fraction of the cost of road transport, particularly into dense, urban centres, where vital train station infrastructure is at the heart of our cities, including London. Waterloo could act as a crucial nexus of freight across London and Britain to support the decarbonisation of freight transport, providing boosts to green jobs, productivity, air quality and making London a safer and more sustainable city.
Mike Putnam, Network Rail Acting Chair, said: “Network Rail are excited to be part of an innovative approach to utilising facilities at Waterloo Station and hope that it can demonstrate the potential to trial zero-tailpipe emission infrastructure and future rail freight opportunities at the Waterloo Freight Hub. These trials are crucial to supporting Network Rail in its commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2050. This 6-month trial will ensure that Network Rail are taking an evidence-based approach to delivering environmental sustainability projects and ensuring that we share best-practice from this innovative project across London.”
Councillor Rezina Chowdhury, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, Lambeth Council, said: “We are making remarkable progress on our commitment to meet Net Zero by 2030 and clean up the toxic air in Lambeth. The Waterloo Freight Hub is another huge stride on that journey and one that will help drive clean economic growth and new jobs in Waterloo and beyond.”
Kevin Savage, Chief Operating Officer, Delivery Mates, said: “We are hugely proud to be working with all the partners on this exciting project. The Waterloo Freight Hub will provide an exciting opportunity to engage further with the rail sector whilst further strengthening Delivery Mates’ capability to deliver sustainable logistics to customers, residents and local retailers. We look forward to playing a part in reducing congestion, removing emissions and creating a safer delivery environment for all stakeholders within Lambeth and across all of London.”
Ross Phillips, Sustainable Transport Manager, Cross River Partnership, said: “Cross River Partnership is extremely pleased to be working with so many partners to launch the Waterloo Freight Hub 6-month Trial. This has been a truly collaborative process between many public and private stakeholders, and we hope it can help to demonstrate the long-term potential for transforming the way that freight comes into, and is delivered across, London. We can look forward to less congested streets, smaller / quieter and non-polluting vehicles, as well as deliveries via rail at a fraction of the cost of road transport.”
