The train transported foodstuffs from the Swedish retail chain Coop.
So far, only trains with a maximum length of 630 meters are permitted on most routes in Sweden. “An expansion to 838 meters would significantly increase transport capacities and thus make rail freight transport even more efficient and attractive for shippers,” says Lars Winther Sørensen, Managing Director of TX Logistik AB in Sweden. This is in turn an essential prerequisite for shifting more goods from road to rail. Even for goods that have so far been transported almost exclusively by road, Lars Winther Sørensen believes that more extensive use of rail is possible.
The use of longer trains is also an important impulse for climate-smart rail transport. In particular, the combination of high load capacity per train and high speed ensures a highly productive transport system. The test train carried 48 semitrailers and traveled at speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour. This was faster than trains in comparable test runs in other countries. It was driven by a four-axle locomotive, which is normally used in rail freight transport.
Coop transports food and other goods by rail in Sweden since 2009. Since 2012, TX Logistik has been running the retail chain between Bro, 30 kilometers northwest of Stockholm, and Malmö. Just two years ago, the number of round trips doubled from ten to 20. “Today, 30 percent of our transports are handled by rail,” explains Peter Rosendahl, transport manager at Coop Logistik. The retail chain would like to increase its share further. “That’s why we participated in this forward-looking project and hope to be able to extend our trains shortly”, Coop transport manager added.
