Tesco is to roll out its tenth and biggest train service to date this week, with a further 31m cases of goods a year set to be moved across the country by the supermarket’s rail network.
The latest ‘Tesco train’ will move 600,000 cases per week, replacing more than 90 trips per week previously needed to move goods from its main distribution centre in Daventry, Northamptonshire by lorry on a 260-mile round trip to its regional distribution centre in Widnes in the Northwest.
Tesco said that by delivering by rail to Trafford Park, products are much closer to stores for the final step in the delivery process, with lorries collecting cases of goods off the train and delivering them direct to store.
The improvements will lead to a “significant” reduction in road miles, according to the grocer, with the new service resulting in an annual emission saving of more than 6,000t CO2e.
The service, which will run six times a week, brings the total number of cases moved by the Tesco rail network to more than 300m per year.
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Rolling out in partnership with DRS and Maritime, the service will bring the number of Tesco stores receiving deliveries by rail to 198.
Suppliers benefitting from the route include L’Oréal, AB World Foods, PZ Cussons, and Heinz, with beauty, grocery and household products being moved on the service, in turn helping to reduce their emissions.
Tesco group chief executive Ken Murphy said: “Tesco’s distribution network is one of the most extensive in the UK and plays an important role in our efforts to become carbon neutral in our own operations by 2035.
“Switching from road to rail allows us to get products to our stores in a more sustainable way, by removing thousands of lorry journeys each year and reducing our carbon emissions.”
In addition to moving from road to rail, the retailer is also working to optimise its road transport network.
So far, it has introduced double decker trailers, leading to a 40% reduction of truck journeys and has worked with suppliers who ordinarily purchase transport on a one-way basis to help align orders. This has enabled suppliers to work together to purchase both legs of a journey, with 50% fewer vehicles required for these trips.
