As Tesco continues to expand its rail service across the UK, with the launch of a tenth rail service this week, a further 31 million cases of goods a year will be moved across the UK by Tesco's rail network rather than by lorry.
Tesco's latest 'train' will move 600,000 cases a week, replacing more than 90 trips a week to move goods 260 miles from its main distribution center in Daventry, Northamptonshire, to its regional distribution center in Widnes, North West. The new service will bring the total number of cases moved on Tesco's rail network to more than 300 million cases a year.
The launch of the tenth train will take the total number of cases moved across the country on the retailer's rail network to more than six million a week - rising to more than seven million at peak times. The train will be Tesco's largest rail service to date. The rail service to Trafford Park will bring products much closer to stores for the final stage of the delivery process, with lorries collecting cases from the train for direct delivery to stores.
The new service will run six times a week (Monday to Saturday) and the distributor is working with its suppliers to ensure that the return leg of the service is utilized. Suppliers benefiting from the route include L'Oréal, AB World Foods, PZ Cussons, and Heinz. Beauty, grocery, and household products will be transported on the service, helping them to reduce their emissions too.
„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,” said Ken Murphy, Tesco Group Chief Executive.
