COOLRAIL, a new direct rail connection set up especially for fresh produce, was launched on May 6, 2019. This temperature-controlled train will be transporting cargo between Valencia and Rotterdam three times a week. While transporting products to the Netherlands takes just as long via the new rail connection as road haulage, trains are far more sustainable—with a CO2 reduction of 70 to 90 per cent compared to trucks.
CoolRail is an initiative of Euro Pool System, which provides logistics services and re-usable packaging to the fresh produce chain. The sustainable project is supported by parties from the retail, logistics and fruit and vegetables segments.
CoolRail can yield significant CO2 savings. Opting for rail transport rather than road haulage cuts the number of truck runs by 12,096 per year and leads to 22 million fewer road kilometres. This reduces the volume of CO2 released into the atmosphere by approximately 15,000 tonnes per year (equivalent to the annual savings of almost 6 large wind turbines). From its launch, CoolRail will be used to transport 42 containers to the Netherlands and back in a single day—a round-way that is repeated 3 times a week and 48 weeks per year, the release added.
