Tesco Spanish 'Chill Train'

[Mcq]

Tesco imports fruit and veg by train from Spain to beat HGV crisis

UK's biggest retailer has started using a chilled rail service to bring fruit and vegetables into the country from Spain

www.derbytelegraph.co.uk

Chief executive Ken Murphy said the UK's biggest retailer has started using a chilled rail service to bring fruit and vegetables into the country from Spain, helping to cut the number of trucks it has on roads and guarantee deliveries.

He said: "We're one of the few if not the only grocery retailer in the UK that uses rail extensively. That helped us during the HGV challenges we've had during the summer.

"To put it into context, by shipping 65,000 by rail, we save about 22 million road miles a year."

Presumably it comes into the UK via Eurotunnel - where does it go to in UK?
Are there any other similar examples?

 

[jamesontheroad]

Coop in Sweden has its own road-railer that runs in both directions between Malmö and Bro (near Stockholm) that takes about 17,000 refrigerated and ambioent truck trailers off the road every year. But that example is purely domestic.

International, in a sense, is the road-railer from near Oslo to Narvik, which travels via Sweden. It is not chartered by a single retailer, but carries a lot of refrigerated trucks with groceries for stores in the far north of Norway

 

[furnessvale]

Todays Telegraph (Business section) says Tesco is planning to ramp up this service.
Presumably it comes into the UK via Eurotunnel - where does it go to in UK?
Are there any other similar examples?

Several years ago, Tesco had a dedicated chilled train from Spain to the UK via the tunnel. The containers are suitable for UK loading gauge and a number found themselves being forwarded as far as Scotland. Even now, some of those containers are used on domestic chilled work.

Hopefully, this announcement heralds the restart of the through train from Spain possibly extended further north than Barking.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Wasn’t there a one time (intermodal?) rail freight service conveying perishable goods that operated from somewhere in Spain directly to the Widnes freight terminal or is my memory playing tricks?

 

[swt_passenger]

Several years ago, Tesco had a dedicated chilled train from Spain to the UK via the tunnel. The containers are suitable for UK loading gauge and a number found themselves being forwarded as far as Scotland. Even now, some of those containers are used on domestic chilled work.

Hopefully, this announcement heralds the restart of the through train from Spain possibly extended further north than Barking.

The various online announcements however are all about running to DBC’s Terminal at Barking

 

[Struner]

It seems Tesco will add two trains to the runs from Spain, including one to Scotland: https://www.theguardian.com/busines...-supply-chain-problems?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Tesco is to increase its use of trains to distribute products by almost 40% as its boss credited investment in rail freight for helping to keep its shelves stocked during the lorry driver crisis.
From next month, Tesco will add two new UK food transport train services, including one that will link Spain with Scotland.

 

[BRX]

It seems Tesco will add two trains to the runs from Spain, including one to Scotland: https://www.theguardian.com/busines...-supply-chain-problems?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

That is frustratingly unclear on whether it means a direct train all the way from Spain to Scotland - or just a forwarding of certain containers from the existing one.

 

[Bald Rick]

That is frustratingly unclear on whether it means a direct train all the way from Spain to Scotland - or just a forwarding of certain containers from the existing one.

I’d be surprised if there was enough demand for a trainload to run all the way to Scotland - they don’t eat that much fruit and veg up there!

 

[Sm5]

What do those chilled containers carry in the other direction, back to spain ?

 

[Bald Rick]

What do those chilled containers carry in the other direction, back to spain ?

Usually cold air.

 

[43096]

I’d be surprised if there was enough demand for a trainload to run all the way to Scotland - they don’t eat that much fruit and veg up there!

Chips and beans are veg, technically, aren’t they?

 

[XAM2175]

Chips and beans are veg, technically, aren’t they?

'Course they are! Have you not seen the special version of the food pyramid for Scotland? Potatoes and beans are the entirety of the bottom level

 

[59CosG95]

Coop in Sweden has its own road-railer that runs in both directions between Malmö and Bro (near Stockholm) that takes about 17,000 refrigerated and ambioent truck trailers off the road every year. But that example is purely domestic.

International, in a sense, is the road-railer from near Oslo to Narvik, which travels via Sweden. It is not chartered by a single retailer, but carries a lot of refrigerated trucks with groceries for stores in the far north of Norway

Switzerland's Coop does domestic freight too. Can't think of any other Euro examples off the top of my head (e.g. Carrefour, Aldi/Hofer etc.)

 

[Larkhall]

Would anyone happen to know roughly how this is routed on the continental side? I assume that it does vary but, especially through France, which lines would it generally take?