Supermarkets' use of rail freight

[railfan99]

Of your supermarket chains Tesco, Sainsburys, Wairose, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi and Poundland - no doubt I've omitted some:

Which ones use rail extensively? Tesco does as I've seen its impressive freight trains with what look to be large containers, maybe 12.2 metres long (i.e. 2 TEU), and Les Gilpin Railways on YouTube often films these.

Which ones have private sidings? I recall passing Asda wagons next to a warehouse if my memory from September 2023 is accurate.

Do any never use rail?

 

[Morayshire]

Asda containers used be a staple on the Grangemouth (Malcolm Logistics) to Aberdeen (Craiginches) intermodal service. Sadly this service no longer runs.

 

[800001]

I’ve seen Asda and Morrisons (albeit only 1-2) containers on trains passing through Carlisle.

 

[sh24]

All of them use intermodal rail for deliveries into their warehousing network.

Delivery to store by rail, Scotland aside, isn't so easy to make work. An average supermarket will have maybe 2-3 deliveries a day, across 3+ temperature regimes and at defined times. Rail simply doesn't work for that.

 

[ScotRail158725]

Of your supermarket chains Tesco, Sainsburys, Wairose, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi and Poundland - no doubt I've omitted some:

Which ones use rail extensively? Tesco does as I've seen its impressive freight trains with what look to be large containers, maybe 12.2 metres long (i.e. 2 TEU), and Les Gilpin Railways on YouTube often films these.

Which ones have private sidings? I recall passing Asda wagons next to a warehouse if my memory from September 2023 is accurate.

Do any never use rail?

Its hard for supermarkets to use rail though. Apart from between distribution or regional warehouses there’s not really much use for them bear in mind as mentioned different temperature regimes etc…

 

[Adrian1980uk]

Its hard for supermarkets to use rail though. Apart from between distribution or regional warehouses there’s not really much use for them bear in mind as mentioned different temperature regimes etc…

Aside for me various temperature regime, individual stores couldn't cope with the nature of all deliveries for the day turning up in one go

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Indirectly from the impressive Tesco operation , but stuff that ends up in shops - bottled , imported water aka Perrier , Highland Spring (OK - not imported) , and a lot of container traffic conveys foodstuff of various sorts - certainly as a nosy individual we used to carry tinned hams , flour , chocolate , and of course lots of tinned tomatoes from Italy (classed as "fruit" traffic for some reason) , flour etc etc ........

 

[SuspectUsual]

The Coop’s only national distribution centre (as opposed to regional ones) is on Prologis Park in Coventry and part of the reason they took the site was because it was rail linked, but I’m not sure it was ever used and I think the rail link is now defunct

 

[dk1]

I was under the impression M&S used rail to an extent but not for distribution.

 

[sh24]

I was under the impression M&S used rail to an extent but not for distribution.

They do for containers in from ports. There were more elaborate plans for their big DC at Castle Donnington but sadly became too expensive.

 

[dk1]

They do for containers in from ports. There were more elaborate plans for their big DC at Castle Donnington but sadly became too expensive.

Thank you.

 

[Tester]

Indirectly from the impressive Tesco operation , but stuff that ends up in shops - bottled , imported water aka Perrier , Highland Spring (OK - not imported) , and a lot of container traffic conveys foodstuff of various sorts - certainly as a nosy individual we used to carry tinned hams , flour , chocolate , and of course lots of tinned tomatoes from Italy (classed as "fruit" traffic for some reason) , flour etc etc ........

Tomatoes are fruit.

I only know from once reading.....

Q. What is the difference between knowledge and wisdom?

A. Knowledge is knowing that tomatoes are fruit - Wisdom is knowing not to put tomatoes in a fruit salad

 

[Deafdoggie]

As others have stated, it's not practical for supermarkets to have door to door rail deliveries. Many of them are in town centres for a start. Those that aren't generally have separate delivery areas for ambient and chilled/frozen. So if a train turned up with everything on, it would involve shunting around.

Fresh goods usually turn up overnight so are in store for first thing, as there are often no staff in the shop at that time the delivery drivers self unload, I can't see train drivers being happy to do that.

Trains are suited for the long distance port to warehouse type work, but not for the "final mile" distribution.

 

[railfan99]

Trains are suited for the long distance port to warehouse type work, but not for the "final mile" distribution.

I agree, but never suggested they were.

Was much more thinking of intermodals from ports or elsewhere to DCs (distribution centres).

 

[D6130]

As others have stated, it's not practical for supermarkets to have door to door rail deliveries. Many of them are in town centres for a start. Those that aren't generally have separate delivery areas for ambient and chilled/frozen. So if a train turned up with everything on, it would involve shunting around.

Fresh goods usually turn up overnight so are in store for first thing, as there are often no staff in the shop at that time the delivery drivers self unload, I can't see train drivers being happy to do that.

Trains are suited for the long distance port to warehouse type work, but not for the "final mile" distribution.

Ironically, a large number of supermarkets have been built on the sites of former railway goods yards....alongside existing active rail routes. (e.g. Sainsbury's at Keighley and Booth's at Clitheroe).

 

[DarloRich]

They will surely all use rail as part of the supply chain process to a greater or lessor degree.

 

[stantheman]

What’s in the Tesco containers on the Sunday Mossend to Tees 4E65? Understand they are empty southbound

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Quite innovative backloadings of containers and even wagons - for example the Spillers trains from and to Wisbech carried petfood in one direction , and East Anglian food products the other - tinned vegetables , packaged soft drinks of various sorts.

My favourite example was Barrs Irn-Bru (Barrhead ?) - shifted in VGA wagons from Deanside Transport to Barking say 3 loads a week - but back loaded with "diet" or sugar free similar drinks to Scotland.

 

[railfan99]

Quite innovative backloadings of containers and even wagons - for example the Spillers trains from and to Wisbech carried petfood in one direction , and East Anglian food products the other - tinned vegetables , packaged soft drinks of various sorts.

My favourite example was Barrs Irn-Bru (Barrhead ?) - shifted in VGA wagons from Deanside Transport to Barking say 3 loads a week - but back loaded with "diet" or sugar free similar drinks to Scotland.

Have these freights ceased? (am not British so lack your extensive knowledge).

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Have these freights ceased? (am not British so lack your extensive knowledge).

The Spillers train was a "company train" - so it made sense to back load what would otherwise be an empty working. Ceased after my time , possibly due to changes in manufactering changes , or more likely lost to road (despite the long distances)

The Irn-Bru business went on what was known as the Speedlink network for individual wagon loads - it was withdrawn before privatisation as it was "uneconomic" - both in resource costs and revenue generation. (this traffic would have been tripped to nearby Mossend Yard and trunked via Willesden to Ripple Lane Yard and then shunted into Barking Rail Handling sidings)

 

[furnessvale]

I’ve seen Asda and Morrisons (albeit only 1-2) containers on trains passing through Carlisle.

Only Tesco seem to have invested in, or specified, branded containers to any extent. Others seem content to use hire boxes, eg ECS or XL.

The name on the box often means little.

 

[The Puddock]

The Irn-Bru business went on what was known as the Speedlink network for individual wagon loads - it was withdrawn before privatisation as it was "uneconomic" - both in resource costs and revenue generation. (this traffic would have been tripped to nearby Mossend Yard and trunked via Willesden to Ripple Lane Yard and then shunted into Barking Rail Handling sidings)

Barr still run soft drinks out of Mossend to England on intermodal services.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Barr still run soft drinks out of Mossend to England on intermodal services.

Good to hear !

 

[M&NEJ]

All of them use intermodal rail for deliveries into their warehousing network.

Delivery to store by rail, Scotland aside, isn't so easy to make work. An average supermarket will have maybe 2-3 deliveries a day, across 3+ temperature regimes and at defined times. Rail simply doesn't work for that.

Its hard for supermarkets to use rail though. Apart from between distribution or regional warehouses there’s not really much use for them bear in mind as mentioned different temperature regimes etc…

Aside for me various temperature regime, individual stores couldn't cope with the nature of all deliveries for the day turning up in one go

The Tesco model is for trunk haulage to Mossend of about 30 - 35 boxes, and "last mile" distribution of individual containers to individual supermarkets by road. The Inverness train was later added to the plan; and I don't know if it ever happened, but a West Country service was also mooted. The main WCML train now includes a few refrigerated containers.

Surely the question is: what's stopping other supermarkets from following this model?

 

[SuspectUsual]

Surely the question is: what's stopping other supermarkets from following this model?

The simple answer is volume. As per the chart posted the other day, Tesco’s market share is pretty much double the next biggest competitors.

 

[furnessvale]

They will surely all use rail as part of the supply chain process to a greater or lessor degree.

Given that more that 50% of the tonne/kms of imported container traffic from the major southern ports is carried by rail, that is highly likely. It just goes un-noticed.

 

[Adrian Barr]

M&S and Asda have used space on the Daventry - Scotland trains that Malcolm's run, and probably still do

In addition to the big Tesco warehouse and adjacent container terminal at Daventry, there's another container terminal around the corner (part of DIRFT II) which is next to a Sainsburys distribution centre.

You can get a bird's eye view of it here - note the lack of Sainsburys branded containers or trailers. To make things more confusing, there's a wall of Stobart "Less CO2" Tesco-style containers too.
I think this terminal is operated by Russell's, with many of the containers loaded to the train in Russell's livery but quite likely conveying produce for Sainsburys.

Sainsburys DC Daventry | Channel: BirdsEye View

There's an interesting night-time cab ride arriving into Daventry reception sidings from the south, past the Tesco terminal to the Russell's terminal and then light back to the Malcolm's terminal (possibly for fuelling).
Parts of it are unsurprisingly very dark, but the terminals and reception sidings are well lit.

Daventry | Channel: The Prop

So in essence you've got 3 different container terminals there, all of which have some involvement in supermarket distribution:

Malcolm's, next to the reception sidings
Stobart, next to the Tesco Distribution Centre
Russells, next to the Sainsburys Distribution Centre

 

[childwallblues]

Only Tesco seem to have invested in, or specified, branded containers to any extent. Others seem content to use hire boxes, eg ECS or XL.

The name on the box often means little.

Tesco has massive warehouses at Ditton next to the railfreight terminal.

 

[55002]

Quite innovative backloadings of containers and even wagons - for example the Spillers trains from and to Wisbech carried petfood in one direction , and East Anglian food products the other - tinned vegetables , packaged soft drinks of various sorts.

My favourite example was Barrs Irn-Bru (Barrhead ?) - shifted in VGA wagons from Deanside Transport to Barking say 3 loads a week - but back loaded with "diet" or sugar free similar drinks to Scotland.

Ah 6S93 Wisbech to Deanside…used to see that most days..

 

[Adrian Barr]

Tesco has massive warehouses at Ditton next to the railfreight terminal.

I think Stobart operate the rail terminal at Ditton / Widnes, and with Stobart being associated with Tesco distribution it makes sense there would be a Tesco warehouse there.

I just found this interesting news snippet from last year about the Tesco rail contract:

Maritime Transport has announced that it has secured a new, three-year contract with long-standing partner, Tesco PLC. With effect from 29th October 2023, Maritime has been appointed by Tesco to manage, plan, and execute all rail operations at Tesco’s central distribution hubs within Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT). The new agreement builds on Maritime’s 13-year history with the UK’s largest retailer of groceries and general merchandise, providing distribution services by road to Tesco sites nationwide, and strengthens Maritime’s position in the market as a leading provider of integrated road and rail freight logistics.

Under the new contract, Maritime will oversee the planning of seven daily rail services linking DIRFT with terminals in Mossend, Tilbury, Wentloog, Teesport, and Inverness, whilst completing final-mile road flow operations to distribution centres and Tesco stores in Yorkshire, Middlesbrough, the Midlands, and London.

Employees of Eddie Stobart Ltd. previously affiliated with Tesco’s rail operation at DIRFT have transferred across to Maritime under TUPE regulations after a consultation process took place.
https://www.multimodal.org.uk/artic...jor-contract-to-manage-tescos-rail-operations

I think a fair amount of the Mossend container traffic is associated with the Tesco distribution centre at Livingston. I noticed that a lot of the containers on 4E04 from Mossend to Doncaster Railport the other day were in Stobart livery, some with the "TESU" owner prefix associated with Tesco. Judging from that news snippet, Stobart are still involved with Tesco road distribution in some areas, with Maritime covering other parts of the country.