New rail link opens between Oslo and the Port of Gothenburg
A new weekly rail shuttle service has commenced, providing Oslo and Norway with a rapid, dependable, climate-smart link to the largest port in Scandinavia. The service is can transfer 2,000 trucks from road to rail, with a resulting reduction in carbon emissions of over 700,000 kg per year, the Port of Gothenburg said in its release.
The new shuttle service has been launched by the Norwegian rail operator Cargonet and it will initially operate once a week in each direction between Oslo and the Port of Gothenburg.
The 580-metre train arrives at the Port of Gothenburg from Oslo on Wednesday afternoon carrying Norwegian export goods for loading onto ships and onward transport to various parts of the world via the extensive Port of Gothenburg service network. That evening the train is loaded with import goods bound for the Norwegian market, reaching Oslo next morning.
This is equivalent to having 2,000 fewer trucks each year operating on the extremely busy E6 motorway between Gothenburg and Oslo. The switch from road to rail will result in a reduction in carbon emissions of 724,000 kg.
At present around 60 per cent of container volumes to and from the Port of Gothenburg are transported by rail. This figure puts the Port of Gothenburg among the top rail freight ports in the world.
Investments include an expansion of the double-track Port Line system and the Arken Intermodal Terminal, which have already had a significant impact on reducing the number of trucks on the roads in the Gothenburg area. The new rail-sea transshipment terminal at the port, the Svea Terminal, is currently in the start-up phase.