DHL Freight, one of Europe’s leading providers of road freight services, is introducing a new, sustainable intermodal rail freight solution between Germany and Denmark. The freight trains will depart from the Ziel Terminal GmbH in Duisburg every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. In Denmark, departures from Padborg will occur every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday from the combined transport terminal. The rail transport takes about 12 hours and is available to customers with full-truckload shipments. Of course, DHL Freight also offers an end-to-end solution including pick-up and delivery.
Operator of the rail connection is the rail logistics company TX Logistik, which maintains an efficient European network with connections in eleven countries. As part of Mercitalia Logistics, TX Logistik is responsible for the development of the group’s international activities. Being able to strengthen the network with a renowned customer like DHL is therefore an important step for the company on this path.
“We are introducing this new train connection exclusively for our customers. In line with our sustainability strategy of net-zero emission logistics by 2050 and the growing demand from our customers for green transport solutions, a modal shift from road to rail on certain relations is a powerful lever to save CO2 emission. We expect this new rail service alone to save up to 11,500t CO2 emissions per year. A perfect complement to our recently introduced GoGreen Plus service,” states Uwe Brinks, CEO DHL Freight.
This solution is another milestone in shifting DHL Freight’s road business to the rails and benefits the route from Denmark to BeNeLux countries and Germany, offering smoother logistics, lower emissions, and increased freight reliability. As part of its sustainability roadmap and in line with Deutsche Post DHL Group’s sustainability goals DHL Freight plans to further increase the use of rail connections and intermodal solutions. Today, DHL Freight already transports freight on more than 3,900 trains on various trade lanes in Europe in cooperation with different rail carriers. In Germany alone, DHL Freight moves more than 970 trailers per week by rail in heavy-load transport.
Reducing emissions through rail transport
The new connection will considerably relieve road traffic thanks to the intensified use of rail networks. Up to 240 truckloads per week can be fulfilled via rail transport. As rail transportation is a less carbon-intensive logistical option, this leads to considerable CO2 savings. For each truck shifted, 1.05 tons of CO2 are saved, up to 250 tons per week and as much as 11,500 tons per year. In combination with DHL Freight’s GoGreen Plus service for pick and delivery customers get the opportunity to reduce the emission for their land transport significantly.
Deutsche Post DHL Group is constantly pursuing its goal of reducing all logistics-related emissions to net zero by 2050. The new train connection is expected to be another effective element in achieving this important goal and represents a firm step forward in their sustainability strategy.