Records Broken as Container Trains’ Expand in Welsh Business

Published 13th March 2012

New Freight Service Carrying Tesco Goods

The Daventry International Railfreight terminal (DIRFT) has been a huge success and has continually expanded since opening last decade.

The latest customer is Tesco who has launched a new rail service from DIRFT to the Wentloog terminal near Cardiff supplying its Magor distribution centre.

Trains started running carrying 20 containers which will increase to 34 by the summer and when the train reaches capacity, will replace 22,000 lorry trips off the roads saving an estimated 3,000 tonnes of CO2.

They Said:

“This new service is part of our ongoing commitment to be a zero carbon business by 2050,” said Nigel Jones, Tesco UK logistics director.

“Utilising rail services allows us to transport products across the country in the most sustainable way, taking thousands of lorries off the road each year and reducing our carbon emissions. In addition to transferring goods from our central depot to other points for distribution to the stores, these trains will also return to our depot with goods from our key suppliers making the service even more efficient.”

The Goods

Trains leaving from Daventry will transport products such as shampoo, deodorants, confectionary clothing and wine. Trains returning to Daventry will be loaded with various inbound primary product that would have previously been taken to the depot on the road.

This train is operated in partnership with Stobart Rail and Direct Rail Services and is branded in the Tesco logo style reading “Less CO2 Rail”.

UK Tesco Trains’ Network

Tesco also uses rail to link DIRFT with Thurrock in Essex, Livingston and Inverness in Scotland. These four freight flows will eventually take 72,000 lorry journeys off the road, saving 24,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year.

Welsh Rail Freight Service Sets New Record

Freight Systems Express Wales (FSEW) and Freightliner’s Logico, transported a record number of containers by rail in 2011. The majority of the traffic was hauled by rail between Southampton Docks and Freightliner’s Cardiff terminal.

The growing rail operation took an estimated 4,000 lorries off the roads, twice the amount of 2010 and an incredible five times the amount than in 2009.

They Said:

Geoff Tomlinson, founder of FSEW, said:

“Businesses are increasingly aware of their environmental footprint and we are very pleased to be able to offer them a sustainable transport solution. “In the past year alone, FSEW saved 545 tonnes of CO2 emissions using Logico’s services.

“Transporting freight by rail has the added benefit of allowing a more containers to be carried at once without the need to increase truck fleets, making the cost more competitive.”

Colin Watts, General Manager of Logico, Added:

“Freightliner’s South Wales International Terminal is a crucial city centre hub for container imports and exports to and from Cardiff and south Wales. Working closely with FSEW we are confident that we will see increasing numbers of containers transported by rail and the added environmental benefits this will bring.”

External Links

• Direct Rail Services
• Jack Boskett
• Freightliner