The case for investment in the Aire & Calder Navigation
Client: Canal and River Trust
Date:
2014-2016
To set out the case for increasing the freight usage of the Aire & Calder Navigation (A&CN) with the minimum of capital investment, covering a series of steps that would also minimise the financial risk.
The question
What improvements to the A&CN could be justified to increase freight traffic while minimising the financial risk to the operators of the infrastructure?
Reviewed infrastructure studies and carried out interviews with freight barge operators and their trade association, which suggested that in principle the A&CN could be improved to allow barges of Euro Class II to navigate from Goole on the Humber to Leeds.
Identified the infrastructure works required to improve the freight capacity of the waterway by addressing the key physical bottlenecks - mainly lock dimensions – that limit the size of freight barge able to navigate the waterway and the works required to create a general cargo wharf in Leeds.
Examined the economic viability of barge transport between the Humber Estuary and Leeds and the potential market available.
Identified potential sites for an inland port in the Leeds area that would be able to offer added value facilities such as distribution sheds and handling equipment.
Summarised the opportunity, with a phased approach suggested for the required infrastructure developments in order to minimise risk.
The impact
The report allowed the Canal and River Trust to collaborate with other key stakeholders around a shared vision for the future of the A&CN which would allow larger freight barges to navigate between the inland port of Goole and Leeds.