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Unique Rail Collaboration To Secure The Food Industry’s Supply Chain


posted on 9th Apr 2020 22:28


ICA, a Swedish grocery retailer, will use the Volvo Group’s freight trains to transport goods. Normally, south-bound trains operated by Green Cargo transport Volvo’s freight from Sweden to the factory in the Belgian city of Gent. For the last six years, the Swedish logistics company Scanlog has used northbound trains to transport cargo such as food for ICA, however, the train has not run since Volvo’s truck factory in Gent closed. ICA and Volvo, in a partnership with Scanlog and Green Cargo, will now put the train back into service even though there is currently no freight to ship south.

The collaboration, which starts during Easter week, means that two 19-wagon trains will ship the equivalent of 80 truckloads of goods from Gent to ICA’s warehouses each week. This reduces the risk of shortages related to the current uncertain conditions surrounding the spread of COVID-19 throughout Europe and potential driver shortages due to illness.

“Sweden is relying on continued transportation from Europe. Reduced export flows reduce the accessibility of truck capacity for northbound freight. More and more ferries are being cancelled, which means that road freight needs to take land routes and pass through several borders. Being able to ensure the transportation of a large quantity of groceries by rail is both gratifying and rather important." says Mattias Ljungberg, CEO of Scanlog.

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