Andrew Hemmings is Secretary to the Rail Freight Forum of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) UK and Chair of the Advisory Body of Newport Harbour Commission. A Fellow of the Chartered Institute, the views expressed are entirely his own. Over the past twenty years he has worked in the public and private sectors as a Transport Consultant, Adviser and Planner.

His work for Atkins involved studies to convey slate waste from Blaenau Ffestiniog, the export of steel from Birdport, Newport and the viability of intermodal traffic from DIRFT to Wentloog terminal, Cardiff. Prior to that he was a Senior Policy Adviser at the Welsh Government and manager of the Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) regime. Schemes included bringing scrap metal by rail to sites in Newport and Cardiff and investigations of the economic, social and environmental cases to transport slate waste along the Conwy Valley Line to terminals in the North and Midlands.

Andrew is a graduate of Durham University, proud to have turned his hobby into his profession. He co-authored Rail Freight -A guide for community groups and rail partnerships, published by ACORP and Atkins. He wrote From Lancashire to Yorkshire by Canal and Secret Newport, both published by Amberley Books. He has made a film funded by Heritage Lottery –Newport and the Sea 1914-1918. He is presently an accredited speaker and volunteer worker for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) and the Adopter for his local railway station, Rogerstone in Newport, South Wales.