Safeway makes tracks
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• Safeway says it is to make by far the biggest commitment to rail distribution by a supermarket with the launch of a daily delivery service to five Scottish stores in February. The initiative is expected to save 9,360 lorry journeys on the A9 between Perth and Inverness over three years. Containers with ambient, chilled, frozen and fresh food will be transferred from rail to road in Inverness for delivery.
The announcement follows the success of a trial started last year, which carried 6,385 tonnes of Safeway goods by rail around the country in the first 12 months. This removed more than 375 lorry journeys. Safeway logistics director Lawrence Christensen says he is hoping to extend the Inverness catchment area served by rail.
The new service will be supported by up to £680,000 of grants from The Scottish Office to pay for equipment but Christensen said the costs of the service are comparable with road without this help. Julian Worth, marketing director of English Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS), which will run the rail service, says this shows the viability of moving chilled and frozen products by rail over distances of less than 200 miles. "It demonstrates that rail can provide a distribution service which many transport experts had previously considered impossible," he adds.
EWS currently carries between three and four containers a week for Sainsbury's between Dagenham and East Kilbride.