Barges take 2,000 lorries off London streets

Network Rail will take more than 2,000 lorry journeys off central London streets over the next two years by using river barges on the Thames to deliver and remove materials from the Blackfriars station project site.

Green delivery: Materials arrive by barge

Huge impact: Network Rail estimates up to 2,000 lorry trips have been taken off central London streets

During the life of the landmark Blackfriars project, Network Rail will bring to site via the Thames over 14,000 tonnes of materials to build the station’s new bridge deck, longer platforms and roof spanning the river. At the same time, more than 8,000 tonnes of deck and pier demolition materials will also be removed. Barges will arrive on a daily basis.

Not only does the river allow Network Rail to deliver more materials to site, more efficiently - it also complements the company’s carbon reduction agenda and helps reduce the impact the bridge construction work has on residents living alongside the railway.

Barges had already been used to deliver new bridge arches earlier this month (see story).

Jim Crawford, Network Rail’s major programme director for the Thameslink project, said: “The landmark Blackfriars station will be the first in the capital to span the Thames, providing a direct link to the cultural centres of the South Bank for the first time.

"Working directly above the Thames, delivering and removing materials by barge, makes a lot of sense to us both practically and environmentally.”

Port of London Authority (PLA) chief executive, Richard Everitt, said: "Water and rail are well regarded as the most environmentally-friendly forms of transport, so bringing them together is a winning combination. Moving building materials through the capital’s marine highway instead of London’s crowded roads will result in less pollution and congestion.

"By choosing barges, Network Rail has ensured the new Blackfriars station will have fine green credentials – not only when it’s operational, but also while it’s being built."

The congestion-busting barge operation began as a trial in late January and was developed with the PLA, Livett’s Launches and Balfour Beatty.

Materials destined for Blackfriars are loaded onto barges at Thames Wharf, near Blackwall and opposite the O2 Arena. Each barge takes approximately 75 minutes to reach the site where the new steel work will be lifted by crawler crane onto the bridge deck.

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