Transport

Current position

The transport of aggregates involves all main modes of transport: road, rail and water. These movements can impose environmental costs on local residents in the vicinity of these transport modes. Around 15 million tonnes were transported by rail, most notably the significant flows from the Mendips to London and the South East and from the East Midlands to the South East and North West. There is a significant current danger that the future delivery of aggregates by rail into London could be reduced by around five million tonnes pa unless the compulsory purchase orders for aggregates depots, and the potential difficulties of freight access to rail associated with the Crossrail Bill, can be resolved satisfactorily.

The supply of 13 million tonnes of marine dredged aggregates to UK markets is particularly significant in the south east of England and South Wales. The ability to land large volumes of construction sand and gravel at wharves close to major markets significantly reduces total lorry mileage. Of the six million tonnes of aggregates delivered by ships other than dredgers, about half are coastal movements around the UK coastline, and about half are imports of aggregates.

The volume of aggregates transported by inland waterways is less than one million tonnes per year, but this volume has been increasing.

Roads remain the most significant mode for the transport and delivery of aggregates. We estimate that the proportion of aggregates moved by road is very high because much of the aggregates volumes moved by rail and water will be delivered to customers from depots and wharves by road.

The QPA and its member companies are also involved in initiatives such as:

• Improving the training of drivers to improve safety and environmental aspects of road transport.
• Participating in research projects to identify and reduce the environmental impacts of aggregates transport (eg EPIC Driver Training, the DfT SAFED and SSA programmes).
• Seeking to retain and expand the capacity for rail freight of aggregates, for example, through the petitioning of the current Crossrail Bill.

Aspirations

The aggregates industry is keen to make full use of all modes of transport. In addition, it is important that the transport of aggregates is carried out as efficiently as possible to minimise carbon emissions, and also to minimise the impact of transport on local residents.

Currently, we do not know enough about the effect of aggregates transport on carbon emissions, and we see the improvement of this base data and the minimisation of carbon emissions as key challenges to be addressed by the industry in association with our stakeholders.