THERE's a new regular traveler up and down the Thames, to and from Tilbury, as a new freight transport link has been launched.

The Port of Tilbury and ADM at Erith have launched a twice-daily coastal barge operation to deliver thousands of tonnes of oil seed rape from the port's grain terminal along the River Thames to ADM Erith's processing facility.

This form of water borne transport reduces truck journeys and ensures a greener supply chain for both businesses. The coastal vessel the Polla Rose takes the cargo from Tilbury twice a day, Monday to Friday with each trip moving 500 tonnes of oil rape seed at a time.

Each round trip is managed by HCH Marine and takes around seven hours and each day this operation removes 36 truck journeys from already congested roads.

Asset Manager at the Port of Tilbury Gary Vincent , said: "We are very pleased with this new coastal service. Using the Polla Rose vessel for this cargo movement has been a success both operationally and as a greener supply chain solution for our customer."

General Manager at ADM in Erith Martin Farrow, said: "We're delighted to work together with the port of Tilbury to support our environmental efforts and optimize our supply chain. It also comes at a great time now that our Erith plant is fully operational again."

Nick Howard, Managing Director of HCH Marine said: "Together we are looking forward to keeping river freight alive and doing our bit to keep road congestion down."