actsheet Rail and waterways for freight deliveries

Transcription

1 actsheet Rail and waterways for freight deliveries

2 This paper was prepared by: SOLUTIONS project This project was funded by the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) of the European Commission Solutions project The graphic design was prepared by Barbara Lah Berlin, 2017 UEMI Secretariat UEMI SOLUTIONS Oliver Lah +49 (0) Supported by

3 Urban Electric Mobility Initiative (UEMI) was initiated by UN-Habitat and the SOLUTIONS project and launched at the UN Climate Summit in September 2014 in New York. UEMI aims to help phasing out conventionally fueled vehicles and increase the share of electric vehicles (2-,3- and 4-wheelers) in the total volume of individual motorized transport in cities to at least 30% by The UEMI is an active partnership that aims to track international action in the area of electric mobility and initiates local actions. The UEMI delivers tools and guidelines, generates synergies between e-mobility programmes and supports local implementation actions in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. UEMI SOLUTIONS aims to support the exchange on innovative and green urban mobility solutions between cities from Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America. The network builds on the SOLUTIONS project and brings together a wealth of experience and technical knowledge from international organisations, consultants, cities, and experts involved in transport issues and solutions. The overall objective is to make a substantial contribution to the uptake of innovative and green urban mobility solutions across the world by facilitating dialogue and exchange, promoting successful policy, providing guidance and tailored advice to city officials, fostering future cooperation on research, development and innovation. SOLUTIONS_UEMI supports urban mobility implementation actions that contribute to the Paris Agreement and the New Urban Agenda. Sustainable energy and mobility can make positive contributions to a number of policy objectives, nationally and locally. In particular in cities there is a great potential to create synergies between for example safety, air quality, productivity, access and climate change mitigation. A UEMI resource centre will provide opportunities for direct collaboration on projects focusing on sustainable urban mobility and the role e-mobility can play in it. The UEMI will pool expertise, facilitate exchange and initiate implementation oriented actions. UN-Habitat, the Wuppertal Institute & Climate Action Implementation Facility jointly host the resource centre for the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative, aiming to bridge the gap between urban energy and transport and boosting sustainable transport and urban e-mobility. Solutions Aims

4 In brief 5 Results 6 Policy/legislation 7 Table of Content Transferability 8 Case Study: Utrecht s beer boat (Netherlands) 8 Results 8

5 In brief Frequently using rail and waterways for freight deliveries can cut the number of vehicles entering urban areas, reduce emissions, improve air quality for citizens and reduce the damage to infrastructure caused by heavy vehicles. Using trains and barges is also an efficient way to consolidate urban freight shipments. In brief Examples In some cities in Europe, retailers are using waterways and canals to deliver their products to customers. Others use heavy rail such as intercity, highspeed rail, rural and freight services. Both types of freight delivery usually still require the use of road vehicles for last-mile deliveries, except for the rare occasions where clients are next to a rail terminal, or located along a waterway. Examples Using heavy rail and waterways to deliver freight function similarly: A terminal located out of the city consolidates the goods and then trains or barges transport them to an urban distribution terminal. From the terminal, they are loaded onto vehicles (preferable low-emission) and taken to their final destination. Light rail, such as the tram and metro systems, is also an option. Large volumes of goods can travel on tramways, but they are rarely suited for freight deliveries and the equipment is not adapted for loading and unloading goods. Underground freight distribution, sometimes considered as a potential sustainable solution, has never succeeded in Europe. There have been various studies, but projects have never reached the demonstration phase, mainly because of track maintenance issues, operational costs and potentially transporting low volumes of goods. 5

6 Results Using rail or waterways to distribute goods can cut pollution. French retailer Monoprix uses passenger-train tracks during off-peak hours to deliver freight from its suburban warehouse to Paris Bercy rail station. From there, trucks running on compressed natural gas deliver pallets to supermarkets around the city and the suburbs. Results A 2009 study showed that Monoprix reduced the annual distance travelled by its trucks by km, cutting particulates by 36 per cent, and nitrogen oxides by 56 per cent. The retailer s CO2 emissions went down by 47 per cent, representing a saving of 410 tonnes per year. Noise, however, was a problem; local communities complained of the loud nightly operations in the rail terminal. Financial & Technical considerations Costs are generally high. They may vary according to the capacity existing infrastructure. Even when investing in infrastructure is not necessary, using nonroad urban freight transport generally implies additional transhipments and a lack of flexibility that may be costly. Freight deliveries by rail are also noisy for nearby communities. Financial & Technical Considerations 6

7 Policy/legislation In many cases, if the municipality does not wish to invest money directly into the scheme, it has to provide a favourable regulatory framework and legal access to the waterway or railway infrastructure. All stakeholders must be part of the project from the beginning and reach mutual agreements before potential political controversies arise. Applying strict EU regulations on air quality can also lay the groundwork for the introduction of such a solution. Policy/legislation Institutions In the example of Monoprix in Paris, each stakeholder was critical to the success of the scheme: the retailer (Monoprix); its logistics provider (a subsidiary); the different local authorities (the city of Paris, the Paris region); RFF, the French rail network authority; French rail main operator, SNCF (who owned the terminal), and the environment agency. Institutions Transferability This solution is transferable if there is a good private/public relationship, a will for stakeholders to create a solution together, and a readiness for public authorities and/or an environmental public agency to provide subsidies, especially to accommodate urban transhipment activities. Transferability 7

8 Context Utrecht has a rich cultural heritage and many canals in its historical centre. The many small businesses in the centre need frequent deliveries to bring goods, which increases road congestion, emissions and damage to local infrastructure. Utrecht decided on various measures to alleviate road traffic, including restricting the times during which vehicles could make deliveries; introducing one-way traffic systems; restricting the weight of trucks allowed to enter the city; and alternative means of transport. Case Study: Utrecht s beer boat (Netherlands) In action The city decided to use its canals to shift urban traffic from road to waterways to help it preserve the historical city centre and relieve the pressure on roads. It introduced the concept of a Beer Boat in 1996, a vessel that supplied food and beer to catering and drinking establishments along the canals of Utrecht, shifting cargo from the road. In 2010, Utrecht upgraded the Beer Boat to an environmentally friendly electric boat. Two years later, building on its success, the city introduced another zero-emission boat to carry other products including waste. In action Today, four breweries and one caterer use the service to deliver to 65 local stores. The boat was also able to deliver outside the access restrictions imposed by the city, while complying with loading restrictions. Using an installed hydraulic electric crane, the boat driver unloads the cargo while avoiding carrying the barrels, thus respecting local labour legislation. Results The Beer Boat was a subsidised low-cost city-centre transport solution, which helped decongest roads and cut emissions. It reduced CO2 emissions by 17 tonnes, NOx by 35 kg and PM10 by 2 kg per year. Transferring this solution to other cities would require an existing waterway network, a high original investment and a clear business model. The vehicle s use of electricity imposes technical limitations, but good scheduling and overnight charging can easily address this. Results 8

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