Tesco is taking a further 31 million cases of goods a year off UK roads as it launches its tenth rail service this week.
Tesco said its latest train route – from Daventry in the Midlands to Widnes in the north west – will see the retailer move 600k cases a week. It will replace more than 90 weekly deliveries by lorries taking the 260-mile round trip.
The new service is set to reduce Tesco’s CO2 emissions annually by more than 6,000 tonnes. In total, Tesco will now move 300 million cases around the UK annually by rail.
Upon arrival in Trafford Park, Widnes, goods will still be transferred to lorries but will be delivered directly to stores in the area on much shorter routes than before.
Tesco is running the service in partnership with DRS and Maritime. The new line has taken the total number of stores getting deliveries by rail to 198.
It said it was working with suppliers such as L’Oréal, AB World Foods, PZ Cussons, and Heinz to ensure the return trip to Daventry was also being utilised.
“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,” said CEO Ken Murphy.
“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.”
Maritime Group executive chairman John Williams added: “We are pleased to welcome this important new service to our terminal in Manchester, and continue supporting Tesco with ‘final-mile’ deliveries to its regional distribution centre and store locations in the north west. Tesco’s largest service to date underlines the strategic role of our rail facility in Manchester as a hub for British trade, uniquely placed to offer fast, efficient, low-carbon logistics for both international and domestic cargo.”
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