We’ve teamed up with industry partners to trial a sustainable freight hub at London Waterloo. The one-of-a-kind hub uses spare, empty space at the station to sort and deliver parcels using greener cargo bikes instead of vans.
A pioneering trial
We want to help grow the rail freight sector – ultimately helping cut carbon emissions and ease congestion on the roads. That’s why we’re working closely with partnership organisation Cross River Partnership to trial the freight hub.
We launched the six-month trial on Tuesday 25 March with government bodies London Borough of Lambeth, Department for Transport and London and Continental Railways.
Vans first deliver parcels to the hub inside the station. Courier company Delivery Mates then sorts and sends the parcels to residents and businesses across London using 10 electrically assisted cargo bikes
Improving air quality in London
The Waterloo Freight Hub aims to improve air quality across the city by shifting freight journeys from polluting vans to cargo bikes, at no extra cost. These deliveries will also reduce noise and traffic across London.
A quarter of London’s total emissions comes from road transport, and freight makes up a quarter of London’s transport emissions. The number of parcels delivered in the city is expected to double by 2030 to potentially a billion parcels each year as shopping habits continue to change.
Shifting to a greener freight industry
The trial will last six months, and we’ll share learnings to help inform a much larger freight hub at the station in the future. A longer-term Waterloo Freight Hub could help support a greener freight industry.
Mike Putnam, acting chair at Network Rail, said: “Network Rail is 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.”
