The Olympic Delivery Authority is sending 57 per cent of deliveries to the Olympic Park for construction by rail, exceeding the sustainability target set out by the Sustainable Development Strategy.
The target stated that 50 per cent of all materials, by weight, should be transported by rail or water, but ODA is beating this target by rail alone.
The Olympic Park will also soon be using waterways to transport construction materials in and out of the site.
Dredging of the local waterways is starting within a month and after Prescott Lock opens in the summer, 350-tonne barges will have access to the site.
The rail freight facilities within the Olympic Park currently manage the delivery and removal of thousands of tonnes of bulk aggregate products for concrete production, and fill material for the Olympic Park on a daily basis.
The Bow East Logistics Centre can also handle multi-modal product shipments like sand, steel, cable reels, pallets and containers.
David Higgins, chief executive of the ODA, said: “We have set tough targets on sustainability which we are currently exceeding. To have 57 per cent of materials by weight delivered to site by sustainable means on a project of this scale is a real achievement. By switching road deliveries to rail, we have significantly reduced traffic and pollution on the roads around the Olympic Park.
“We are not complacent about the challenges that lie ahead and we are aware of the increased difficulty in maintaining this record as construction ramps up and the number of deliveries increases. We are however confident that we are moving in the right direction, and have got off to a great start.”
