Port of Gothenburg develops its rail freight network
Gothenburg, Sweden’s largest port, is moving further in extending its rail freight network. Besides launching the container trains to the hinterland terminals, it is focused on enhancing connectivity with small ports, particularly in the northern part of Sweden.
The last days of May saw the establishment of a new intermodal connection between the Port of Gothenburg and the northern provinces of Sweden. On Friday, 27 May, the freight train loaded with 68 containers departed from the country’s largest port. On the next day, it will arrive at the newly opened freight train terminal in Umeå, where it was loaded with southbound freight before departure to the Port of Gothenburg again the same evening. The train then arrived directly at APM Terminal’s container terminal in Gothenburg on Sunday, 29 May, where connecting ships waited with direct departures to Asia, the US and other places.
Backbone for export
The new rail freight connection is operated by the forwarding company First Row Shipping & Logistics. Initially, it will run once a week in each direction to link the Swedish largest port with the northern regions of the country (Norrland), which are the backbone of the Swedish export industry and energy supply such as battery factories and fossil-free steel production. “From the port’s perspective, we can state that increased Norrland traffic also strengthens the port as a guarantor of business’s access to the world,” said Claes Sundmark, vice president for sales & marketing at the Gothenburg Port Authority.
Focus on rail freight
After launching the freight train to Umeå, the Port of Gothenburg has increased the number of intermodal connections with Norrland up to 12 destinations: Kiruna, Kalix, Luleå, Piteå, Umeå, Husum, Örnsköldsvik, Ånge, Sundsvall, Iggesund, Söderhamn and Gävle. Most of the mentioned locations are situated on the Gulf of Bothnia’s shore, where small harbours are functioning. It is worth noting that there are 45 departures a week between Gothenburg and Norrland, they are run by train operators Realrail, Green Cargo and First Row Shipping & Logistics.
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