16 Mar Stephen Metcalfe MP Welcomes Minister Morton to DP World London Gateway
Stephen Metcalfe, MP for South Basildon & East Thurrock, recently welcomed Minister Wendy Morton MP to DP World London Gateway.
Following a recent regular visit to London Gateway, Stephen Metcalfe MP invited the Minister of State in the Department for Transport, Wendy Morton to visit the port and to hear about their ambitious plans for the future, including their desire to move more freight by rail.
London Gateway is a key part of the new Thames Freeport which will see growth across the whole of the Thames estuary and therefore more activity at the port.
Minister Morton, who has particular responsibility for rail, was keen to visit the rail hub and to hear of any potential barriers to moving freight off our roads and on to the rail network.
DP World London Gateway’s plan to move more freight off the roads and onto the railway is welcome but does face challenges both locally and across the wider rail network.
Stephen Metcalfe said: “I want to thank the Minister for her visit and the interest she took in the area. I welcome the desire to move more freight by rail, but that is not without its challenges on an already busy network. This is a vital piece of infrastructure, and the new Freeport will see an increase in international trading logistics which we must work to accommodate to avoid congestion on our roads.
This will also help in our goal of meeting net zero by 2050. If London Gateway can move just 10 per cent more of their freight onto the railway and away from the roads it will off-set their own carbon footprint.
It was a great opportunity to meet the staff here and learn about what aspirations London Gateway have and how they can best be facilitated to ensure they provide the best possible logistics support to the new Thames Freeport”.
