We’ve just appointed Polaris Consultancy to carry out a feasibility study for a rail freight terminal at the Avonmouth site, which lies on the outskirts of Bristol. James White, Technical Lead, and Hattie James, Transport Officer, met with the consultancy, Network Rail, Bristol Port, Maritime Transport, MCA, Severnet, and Bristol City Council officers at Avonmouth, to chat about joint partnership possibilities and contribute to the technical aspects of the report.
Why Avonmouth?
Avonmouth is an important logistics hub for the region, with some 15 million square feet of warehousing, thriving ports at Avonmouth and Portbury and excellent transport links by road, rail, and air. The warehouses at Avonmouth are important generators of freight movements, acting as key hubs in national and international supply chains for big businesses such as Amazon, Tesco, Lidl – to name a few.
What’s the plan?
Developing a rail terminal at Avonmouth would lead to some key benefits, such as a decrease road traffic, decarbonisation, improved air quality and economic growth. While the main focus of the terminal would be to link ports, or logistics hubs, in the Midlands and beyond, to Avonmouth, it could be used as a hub for consolidated rail freight services further southwest.
What’s next?
Polaris Consultancy are drawing up the report, which is due in September 2025.
Find out more about our freight work on our web page: South West Freight Strategy | Western Gateway STB
