Key advantages
Key advantages
Sector locations
See where others in your sector are located in the region
Smart Connections: Transport
Around the world, countries, states, cities and regions are fighting a 
fierce battle for investment spend and this report examines the role that transport plays in this fight. Written by Professor Austin Smyth, Head of the Department of Transport Studies at the Westminster University, the findings are supported by the opinions of over 300 senior international business people, surveyed by YouGov. Click here to download a free PDF copy of the Smart Connections Transport Report
Contact us
+44 (0)1322 312190
You can contact us by email or by calling the team on +44 (0)1322 312190
The Bridge, Brunel Way,
Dartford, Kent, DA1 5GA
London Gateway
Creating a global trading hub at the heart of the Thames Gateway
By developing the world’s most automated deep-sea container port alongside Europe’s largest logistics park, London Gateway will change the way goods are distributed around the UK.
Situated on the north bank of the River Thames near Thurrock in Essex, London Gateway will provide unrivalled shipping access for the world’s leading businesses to an integrated road, rail and sea network.
With dedicated rail freight terminals, excellent highway links and coastal shipping facilities, London Gateway will ensure the nation’s goods are transported more efficiently, at less cost and in a more environmentally sustainable way. This means less heavy goods vehicles, less congestion on UK roads, less carbon and smaller distribution costs.
The development is currently the largest job creation project in the UK (source: UKTI, 2008), providing over 12,000 direct sustainable jobs and an additional 30,000 indirect employment opportunities.
By introducing a £1.5 billion port into the UK’s infrastructure and allowing shipping services direct access to London, global brands will be able to shift from conventional distribution methods to more efficient and environmentally friendly ways of distributing goods throughout the country.
London Gateway is set to become a global trade hub which will ensure the UK remains connected to the world’s major freight routes when the logistics park and the first berths of the port open in 2011.
Key facts - General
- London Gateway is the UK’s first 21st Century major deep-sea container port and Europe’s largest logistics park.
- It is the most significant UK port development for 20 years.
- London Gateway occupies a 1,500 acre site, which will accommodate a mixture of commercial and logistics uses whilst retaining green areas.
The development is just 25 miles from central London on the former Shell Haven oil refinery location at Stanford-le-Hope on the north bank of the Thames.- London Gateway offers a two-mile long River Thames frontage.
- More than £1.5 billion is being privately invested in the project.
- London Gateway will provide over 12,000 new jobs; the largest jobs creation project currently in the UK.
Key facts - Shipping
- London Gateway will accommodate the world’s largest container ships that can carry up to 15,000 containers on each load.
- The largest ships are 400 metres long, about the same distance as four football pitches laid end to end.
- The port will be the most automated and efficient in the world, adding an additional 3.5million TEU to the UK’s port capacity.
Key Facts - Logistics Park
- Will offer 9.5 million square feet for the distribution, manufacturing and high-tech sectors.
- Will provide individual units up to and in excess of one million square feet.
Key Facts - Environment
- By increasing efficiency of the UK logistics supply chain, London Gateway will save 2,000 trucks per day off the national highways which DP World currently estimates will save over 60 million miles of annual lorry movement.
- London Gateway’s target is to move 30% of goods by rail and 10-20% by short sea shipping.
