// Tesco to launch new refrigerated rail freight service to lower carbon emissions
// The initiative also reduces the number of lorries it needs on the road
// The low-CO2 rail service train will transport chilled goods from Tilbury to Coatbridge
Tesco has announced it will introduce a refrigerated rail freight service that will lower its carbon emissions while reducing the number of lorries it needs on the road.
The grocer has teamed up with Direct Rail Services for this initiative.
The new low-CO2 rail service train will transport chilled goods from Tilbury to Coatbridge and operate twice a day, seven days a week.
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“Our rail service will be an important part of our efforts to deliver a fantastic Christmas for our customers, but the journey doesn’t stop here as we continue to increase the number of containers we transport by rail,” Tesco UK & ROI chief executive Jason Tarry said.
Tesco has been using rail to transport goods since 2008.
Over the past year, the Big 4 leader increased the number of containers filled with produce destined for stores transported by rail by nearly 50%.
The partnership with DRS is part of Tesco’s goal to hit net zero in its own operations by 2035, as all-rail freight is less carbon-emitting than trucks.
It will see the grocer remove at least 17,000 containers from the road each year, saving it 7.3 million road miles and nearly 9000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
The 415-mile route will use DRS’s Class 88 bi-mode electric locomotives, which can run on electricity and produce zero greenhouse gas emissions.
“This new service reflects our continuing commitment to rail which has clear advantages for our business, our customers and the planet,” Tarry said.
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