Tesco have for a long time now been active in reducing their carbon footprint. As a major food retailer sourcing fresh and dry goods, not only from England and Wales but also from the Scotland and the Continent, Tesco have been pioneers in moving goods by rail.
A further 31 million cases of goods a year are set to be moved across the country by the Tesco rail network rather than by lorry, as Tesco continues to roll out its rail service across the UK, with the introduction in October 2024 of a tenth rail service. This latest ‘Tesco train’ will move 600k cases of goods per week from the company’s main distribution centre in Daventry, Northants on a 260-mile round trip to its regional distribution centre in Trafford Park, Manchester, replacing more than 90 trips by lorry per week.
This 10th train will be Tesco’s biggest service to date. By delivering by rail to Trafford Park, products are much closer to stores for the final step in the delivery process, with lorries collecting cases of goods off the train and delivering them direct to store, bringing the number of Tesco stores receiving deliveries by rail to 198. The trains will run six times a week (Monday to Saturday) and Tesco is now working with its suppliers to ensure that there will also be loads using the return journeys.
HGV movements account for around 21% of the UK’s domestic transport emissions, so switching to rail can play a significant role in contributing to achieving net zero carbon dioxide emissions – but in any case we need to Get the Loads off the Roads!
