Fruity Rail Freight reduces emissions

On 30 October, the first-ever fully refrigerated rail freight train through Eurotunnel arrived at the railhead at Dagenham.  A major UK-based multi-modal logistics operator has instituted a reqular weekly rail freight service from Valencia in Spain carrying fruit and vegetables to England.  This is the longest single train journey in Europe by a single operator; if it is a success, it will save 13.7 million km of road freight journeys per year, thus making a significant reduction in carbon emissions.  The train will carry empty pallets on return, thus obviating empty running.  It is anticipated that customers will be so impressed by the quicker journey time and environmental benefits, that they will want to swap more cargo from road to rail freight.