Waterborne freight in the United Kingdom: 2005

Waterborne Freight In The United Kingdom 2005 - National Statistics on freight traffic carried on UK inland waters, around the UK coast, to and from UK offshore installations and sea dredging.

The report shows that:

• In 2005, 49 million tonnes of cargo were carried on inland waters (9 per cent higher than the previous year). This included both non-seagoing traffic and seagoing traffic crossing into inland waters.
• Goods moved (defined as the tonnage lifted multiplied by the distance travelled) rose by 8 per cent to 1.6 billion tonne-kilometres.
• Inland waters traffic has fallen over the last decade in terms of both goods lifted (by 20 per cent) and goods moved (by 14 per cent).
• Non-seagoing traffic rose by 31 per cent in 2005 to 3.4 million tonnes lifted. Goods moved in 2005 rose by 10 per cent to 0.17 billion tonne-kilometres.
• Sea going traffic crossing into inland waters rose by 8 per cent in 2005 to 45 million tonnes lifted and by 7 per cent to 1.5 billion tonne-kilometres moved.
• Total water transport, including inland waters traffic, coastwise, UK offshore oil and gas and sea dredging accounted for 6 per cent of goods lifted and 24 per cent of goods moved by all modes of transport in the UK, in 2005.
• Crude petroleum and petroleum products dominated total waterborne freight traffic, amounting to 47 billion tonne-kilometres of goods moved in 2005 (78 per cent of all waterborne freight).
• UK registered ships handled 9.8 million tonnes of coastwise and UK offshore oil cargoes in 2005 (12 per cent of all vessel traffic).
• The Thames was the busiest of the major inland waterways, lifting 19 million tonnes and moving 0.7 billion tonne-kilometres in 2005. The Forth was next busiest, lifting 8.5 million tonnes and moving 0.18 billion tonne-kilometres.

Notes

1. This is the latest in an annual series of reports.
2. Waterborne Freight in the United Kingdom 2005 is available free of charge from :

Department for Transport
Maritime Statistics Branch
Zone 2/19 Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DR

3. A complementary publication Maritime Statistics 2005 provides detailed information about passenger and freight traffic through UK ports, ships owned and registered in the UK, and the world fleet. This publication can be obtained from The Stationery Office, price £36.

Publication details

Published on 30 November 2006 by Transport Statistics

The next edition of Waterborne Freight in the United Kingdom will be published in November 2007

E-mail: maritime.stats@dft.gov.uk for queries concerning this publication.

For information about release of this product see National Statistics Online