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News Desk


UK to push ahead with ‘smart’ motorways


OVERLAND Despite opposition, Highways England will push ahead with its ‘smart’ motorway programme, a technology-driven approach to increasing capacity and relieving congestion, while maintaining capacity.


The UK’s newest intermodal inland rail freight hub – iPort Rail in Doncaster – has opened and is now fully operational. iPort Rail is located within the iPort logistics hub, and can accommodate the UK’s longest trains up to six times a day.


www.bifa.org Ian Matheson, from Impress Communications, reviews some recent news that might impact on Members’ business


IN BUSINESS The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport has incorporated Women in Logistics UK to establish a new group to promote diversity and inclusion in the logistics and transport profession.


According to the first issue of Heathrow Airport’s quarterly Export Climate Index – which tracks the health of the UK’s export economy using measures such as the number of Heathrow’s flights – the UK is in a strong position.


UK transport secretary Chris Grayling has recently announced that he expects a £3 billion upgrade programme to the Transpennine rail route to begin from spring 2019, while an Independent Affordability


Review is being established to ensure the affordability of Crossrail 2.


New data shows that only 24% of commercial drivers and operators have completed the full 35 hours CPC training required of them by 2019, with almost 49% still at least 14 hours short.


PORTSIDE P&O Ferries has reached an agreement with Forth Ports to relocate to a purpose-built £150 million river berth, Tilbury2, on the River Thames at the Port of Tilbury. The move should see P&O treble its freight capacity to 600,000 units per year by 2020.


In response to the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee report on ‘Brexit: Trade in Food’, the British Ports Association (BPA) has warned that without agreements on cross- border environmental health standards, there could be major disruption at UK and EU ports post- Brexit.


The British Ports Association (BPA) has published new research by infrastructure advisory firm Moffatt & Nichol, which shows that UK ports and terminals have an estimated £1.7 billion of port infrastructure investment in the development pipeline.


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The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, David Bolt, has started an inspection of Border Force’s operations and activity along England’s south coast, examining how it manages its response to existing threats in the general maritime sector.


IN THE AIR The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released data for global air freight markets showing that demand rose by 8% (measured in freight tonne kilometres) in January 2018, compared with the year-earlier period.


ON THE OCEAN According to media reports, Seaintelligence Consulting believes that consolidation among the largest carriers is coming to an end. However, it adds that it is only just starting among smaller, niche carriers with as many as 30% of the 100 largest regional or niche carriers likely to disappear over the next five years as a result of mergers and acquisitions.


According to Chris Grayling, UK Transport Secretary, Britain’s maritime industry is on the verge of a technological revolution that could make shipping faster, safer, and more environmentally friendly. Such technological advancements include autonomous vessels, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence.


April 2018


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