Waterborne Freight: The Future of Urban Logistics

Picture this: a city where delivery vans no longer choke the streets, where clean air and quiet waterways define the urban rhythm. As e-commerce demands faster, cleaner, and more efficient deliveries, logistics faces a critical crossroads – especially in dense, complex hubs like London. The explosion in van traffic is grinding against the UK’s bold sustainability ambitions. But what if Britain’s rivers, canals, and estuaries – long overlooked – could ease this crunch? A new report from Logistics UK, The UK Logistics Network: Waterborne Freight, launched in June at the Multimodal conference, presents a compelling case for repurposing these historic routes to connect cities, ports, and – in time – urban centres in a smarter, greener freight network.

While fully in-city waterborne logistics (like last-mile parcel delivery by boat) will require long-term infrastructure changes and strategic planning, the low-hanging fruit lies in inter-urban and port-to-city freight. Britain’s waterways – our original superhighways –once thrived as arteries of trade, and they’re primed for a revival. Harnessing these routes between cities and to strategic hubs on the edge of urban centres could take thousands of HGVs off the roads.

Jonathan Walker, Logistics UK’s head of infrastructure and planning policy, underscores the opportunity: waterborne freight could drive progress toward net zero, improve air quality, and strengthen supply chain resilience. But he’s clear – this won’t happen in isolation. It will take coordinated action from government, industry, and developers to protect wharf sites, invest in infrastructure, and future-proof the network.

Europe offers blueprints worth studying. In Amsterdam, DHL’s “floating city hub” navigates the city’s canals, feeding electric bikes and vans for final delivery. In Paris, Franprix has used the River Seine since 2012 to transport goods close to the city centre, replacing 2,600 lorry journeys annually. These examples highlight what’s possible – but also reveal a key distinction: while the infrastructure in cities like Amsterdam was designed with water access in mind, UK cities often lack seamless integration between waterways and last-mile delivery.

Still, the potential is significant. The River Thames alone can handle enormous freight volumes – Thames barges can carry 1,000 tonnes, far eclipsing an HGV’s 20-tonne capacity. In 2013, 2.8 million tonnes of freight travelled on the Thames, avoiding around 120,000 lorry trips. Logistics UK points to projects like the regeneration of Stourton Wharf at the Port of Leeds, upgrades to the Aire and Calder Navigation, investment in Port Salford on the Manchester Ship Canal, and capacity expansion at Southampton and Humber ports. These routes support regional distribution and inter-city movement – crucial building blocks for a low-emission logistics strategy.

However, this renaissance isn’t without its challenges. Britain’s waterways, many dating back to the Victorian era or earlier, weren’t built for modern freight volumes. Unlocking their potential will require targeted investment in maintenance, dredging, loading infrastructure and navigation systems. Planning policies must also adapt. Valuable wharf sites are being lost to housing developments – often permanently. Walker warns that unless planning frameworks prioritise freight access and safeguard redevelopment potential, this opportunity will slip through our fingers.

London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone, which penalises older diesel vehicles, highlights the urgency. Waterborne freight offers a cost-effective, scalable alternative – but without nearby warehouse or consolidation space, uptake is limited. Developers and planners must get creative: repurposing river-adjacent land, enabling intermodal hubs, and ensuring urban water routes are part of long-term logistics strategy.

The ultimate prize? Cleaner air, less congestion, and a logistics system that’s robust, responsive, and sustainable. Pairing river freight with electric vehicles for last-mile delivery – learning from Europe but tailoring for UK realities – would redefine the freight ecosystem. Logistics UK is calling on government to set clear growth targets for waterborne freight, aligning it with the ambitions already in place for rail. Because with online retail growing and environmental pressure mounting, Britain’s waterways aren’t just a nostalgic throwback – they’re a future-proof solution waiting to be unlocked.

Now’s the time to act. Government, industry, and developers must align to protect, invest, and innovate – because the tide of sustainable logistics is rising, and Britain’s waterways are ready to lead the current.