Direct Rail Services (DRS) launches new rail freight service for Tesco supermarkets.

This new service becomes the tenth to be operated by DRS and the supermarket giant, and demonstrates the long-standing partnership between the two companies.

It runs from Tesco’s main distribution centre in Daventry, Northamptonshire, on a 260-mile round trip to its regional distribution centre in Trafford Park in the Northwest.

The environmental benefits of rail freight are clear, it emits 76 per cent fewer CO2 emissions when compared to road transport and this new service replaces the equivalent of thousands of lorries from the road, resulting in a saving of 6,000tCO2e per year.

DRS, Nuclear Transport Solutions’ rail division, is a key partner in intermodal rail transportation and uses its expertise to deliver safe, secure and reliable transport across the rail industry.

Gottfried Eymer, NTS’s Rail Managing Director, said: “This new service is an excellent addition to the fantastic work we do with Tesco.

“Rail freight is ideally suited to transporting supermarket traffic and the environmental benefits are clear to see, every month we transport around 12,000 containers travelling thousands of miles safely, securely and reliably to ensure shelves are stocked all year round across Great Britain.”

Ken Murphy, Tesco Group Chief Executive, said: “Tesco’s distribution network is one of the most extensive in the UK and plays an important role in our efforts to become carbon neutral in our own operations by 2035. Switching from road to rail allows us to get products to our stores in a more sustainable way, by removing thousands of lorry journeys each year and reducing our carbon emissions.”