The lack of investment in rail freight between Hull and Liverpool has left port operators “on the verge of crisis.”
Delegates from some of the Humber’s biggest businesses travelled to London on Monday as part of International Shipping Week, to promote the estuary as a global centre for ports and shipping.
Among the issues to arise was the difficulty moving cargo and freight between the Humber region and Liverpool .
One leading port boss went as far as to say the increase in cargo coming in through the docks – combined with the challenges transporting it across the Pennines – had left them “on the verge of crisis.”
Gary Hodgson, managing director of port logistics at Liverpool-based Peel Ports Group , said: “Almost £1bn combined has been invested in port complexes in the Humber and the Mersey to increase capacity. With more containers coming through and connectivity as it is, we are on the verge of crisis.
“We can’t move a container from west to east due to height clearance issues on the route, so the only other alternative is to put it on the M62.
“With an approaching shortage of freight drivers by 50 to 60,000, this is not sustainable, and we will not be able to move freight quickly enough.”
The London International Shipping Week featured over 18,000 delegates from around the globe, as big players in the maritime industry share knowledge, make key contacts and do business.
Team Humber Marine Alliance presented at a regional focus event on the 42nd floor of The Leadenhall Building – affectionately known as ‘The Cheesegrater’ – where it promoted the Humber to worldwide trade on September 9.
Mark O’Reilly, Team Humber CEO and chairman, said: “The Humber’s story is well established, and we believe that we now have a solid platform from which to grow.
“In just eight years we have become world leaders in maritime operations for the offshore wind sector and have enjoyed significant investment in container shipping through Hull.
“Now the Humber, which combines Hull, Immingham, Grimsby and Goole is the busiest port complex by tonnage in the country, accounting for 25 per cent of goods which travel through British ports.
“There is now a constant flow of trade missions to the region. Recently we have hosted three from South Korea, and others from Japan and China.”
Team Humber was joined by representatives from Associated British Ports and P&O Ferries.
Discussions moved to a panel format with representatives from the Humber and the Mersey sharing their thoughts on improved connectivity between the two regions.
Dafydd Williams, head of corporate affairs, communications & policy at ABP, said: “The Humber contributes £7.6bn GDA to the UK economy per year and supports 35,000 jobs across the north.
“Policy makers will lean towards infrastructure for passenger rail as this makes peoples’ commutes quicker and will win votes.
“If you want to support jobs and the economy, equal investment is required in rail freight to passenger rail. This is the key to unlocking potential across the north, which is why the Humber and the Mersey are working together to get this on the agenda at the Marine UK London based council.
“We already have a transport body – Transport for the North – but TfN lacks the power to commit funding.
“This requires a political-style campaign with dialogue with communities along the M62. The more traffic we can take off the roads by investing in rail freight the better their lives will be, and the campaign will gain public support.”
