{"id":95959,"date":"2021-07-08T11:03:10","date_gmt":"2021-07-08T10:03:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=95959"},"modified":"2021-07-08T11:03:10","modified_gmt":"2021-07-08T10:03:10","slug":"midlands-multimodal-freight-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/planning-construction-news\/midlands-multimodal-freight-strategy\/95959\/","title":{"rendered":"First phase of Solent to Midlands multimodal freight strategy published"},"content":{"rendered":"

Network Rail<\/a> and Highways England<\/a> have published the first phase of the Solent to the Midlands multimodal freight strategy<\/h2>\n

The strategy is the culmination of a year\u2019s work between the two organisations and represents a further step forward in the collaboration between Highways England and Network Rail<\/a> in multimodal strategic planning and other areas to better serve our customers.<\/p>\n

This study forms part of Network Rail\u2019s\u202flong-term planning\u202fprocess<\/a>\u202fand Highways England\u2019s route strategy<\/a> and pioneer projects work, both of which are designed to identify\u202finvestment priorities for the future.<\/p>\n

This closer approach to planning and increased involvement of stakeholders is vital to delivering the best results for our customers and funders.<\/p>\n

The Solent to the Midlands route is one of the most important freight corridors in the UK. It links the major port of Southampton with the numerous distribution centres and economic hubs of the Midlands, North and Scotland.<\/p>\n

The Solent Ports, particularly Southampton, are in favourable locations for connections to the global freight and logistics market due to their proximity to the main shipping lanes.<\/p>\n

The Midlands is home to a high concentration of large distribution centres and warehouses \u2013 the so-called \u2018Golden Triangle\u2019 of freight distribution.<\/p>\n

The A34, managed by Highways England, links the Solent Ports and the Midlands and is closely mirrored by the equivalent rail route, owned and operated by Network Rail. The parallel nature of the road and rail routes means that it is an ideal candidate for cross-modal analysis.<\/p>\n

Key findings include:<\/h3>\n