Is an underground transport system a nice touch or pure necessity? "We are not going to be able to cope with the growth of transport by a factor of 2 to 3. Then we will have to start thinking about other transport systems anyway."
The meeting Logistics: the next step was organised in Roosendaal on 23 May. West Brabant was named Logistics hotspot of the Netherlands in 2017 and in 2018. The region wants to retain that title in the coming years. Therefore, the Roosendaal municipality dwelt on the next steps needed to strengthen the region's position.
Underground logistics systems
According to Bart Vannieuwenhuyse, representative of Future Proof Transport Initiatives (FPTI), underground transport is a sustainable and appropriate next step in logistics. FPTI is an intitiative of four entrepreneurs who have joined forces with one mission: to shape underground logistics systems.
Additional measures
These new logistics systems are badly needed, Vannieuwehuise believes. The OCD earlier calculated that freight transport will grow by a factor of 2 worldwide until 2030. By 2050, it will grow by a factor of 3. Moreover, 50 per cent of that flow of goods will soon pass through cities.
Vannieuwehuyse expects we won't be able to cope with that growth. "Of course we can take additional measures. Synchromodality and the physical internet (the platform economy) allow us to work more efficiently. Still, our feeling is that additional measures are needed on top of those existing ones." According to Vannieuwehuyse, studies and pilots show that underground transport is a sustainable and appropriate solution to the capacity issue in transport and logistics.
Cargo Sous Terrain
In Switzerland, for instance, work is underway on the Cargo Sous Terrain: a plan to move goods through a tunnel. In it, unmanned trolleys move using electromagnetic induction. This should lead to fewer emissions and fewer bottlenecks in transport, which is mainly by road in Switzerland. Cargo Sous Terrain expects to commission the first 70-kilometre link between the Härkingen-Niederbipp logistics centre and Zurich by 2030. Swiss companies such as Coop, Swisscom and Swiss Post are participating in the initiative.
Corporate social responsibility
FPTI also wants to start the dialogue regarding underground freight transport in the Netherlands and Belgium. "The tricky thing is that companies don't worry much about the capacity problem. Their direct costs to a logistics provider usually remain the same. But they also have to worry about the social costs involved in growing flows."
Still, Vannieuwehuyse thinks companies are increasingly concerned with their social responsibility. "We see a shift in the supply chain focus. First it was cost, then it became Agile. Now 'fair' plays a big role.
Thinking along about future-proof transport
In the coming period, FPTI will focus on connecting businesses, government and citizens. On 7 June, FPTI is organising an event to help think about future-proof transport systems. The initiators of Cargo Sous Terrain will be there to explain their project and answer questions. Check here for more information.
