From northern forests to global markets via APM Terminals Gothenburg
Rail volumes to APM Terminals Gothenburg continue to grow, driven in part by the forest industry in northern Sweden. Increasingly, companies are choosing long-distance rail transport via Gothenburg over more traditional feeder solutions through ports closer to production sites.
In 2021, the first rail shuttle between Piteå and Gothenburg was launched – an important step in creating an integrated transport chain combining rail freight with direct deep-sea services through the Port of Gothenburg. Since then, volumes from northern Sweden have increased more than eightfold, from around 100 export containers to today’s 843 export and import containers. At the same time, traffic has expanded to seven weekly rail shuttles connecting Gothenburg with Piteå, Bastuträsk, and Sundsvall.
“We see significant advantages in being able to transport our products from Piteå to Gothenburg in a climate-smart, cost-efficient, and reliable way,” says Jonas Ölund, Logistics Manager at Stenvalls Trä AB.
Roger Bergman, Marketing Manager at Stenvalls Trä, also highlights the importance of the rail solution via Gothenburg: “Gothenburg is home to the largest port in the Nordics, with an extensive network of liner services and efficient transfer from rail to deep-sea vessels. These high-frequency rail connections to the port make it possible to reach global markets through one seamless transport chain – something that is important both for us and for our region.”
Major climate benefits from rail transport via Gothenburg
A climate study conducted by IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute shows that a transport solution using rail from northern Sweden to APM Terminals Gothenburg, combined with direct deep-sea shipping to Shanghai, can reduce carbon emissions by up to 82% compared with a traditional feeder-based solution via Sweden’s east coast.
For Stenvalls Trä, the next step is to optimize flows in both directions to further strengthen the environmental benefits. The company, which owns the rail terminal in Lövholmen, sees electrification of the industrial rail track as an important investment.
“By electrifying the industrial track at Lövholmen, we can enable full train sets to be shunted within the terminal area. This gives us greater flexibility and improved opportunities to offer competitive and sustainable transport solutions to other companies as well – in both directions. In this way, we can increase the utilization of the rail shuttle,” concludes Jonas Ölund.