New Train Shuttle between Piteå and the Port of Gothenburg

New Train Shuttle between Piteå and the Port of Gothenburg

Port of Gothenburg — 2024-01-18

Members Corner

Träfraktkontoret in Gothenburg and its subsidiary, TFK Logistics, have established a railway shuttle between Piteå and the Port of Gothenburg. This means that companies in the northernmost region in Sweden has secured an efficient and environmentally friendly transportation solution to and from their markets around the world.

"We are very pleased with the opportunity to create efficient logistics solutions for the business community in Norrbotten. The region's industry gains access to cost-effective, stable, and environmentally sustainable solutions for their customers in both Europe and the rest of the world," says Kim Johansson, Managing Director of TFK Logistics.

The new railway shuttle is operated by TFK Logistics, which has been servicing the route since December 10th. The new shuttle departs twice per week. The wagons are loaded at both Shorelink in the Port of Piteå and Stenvalls Trä's rail-connected terminal at Lövholmen before the train departs for the Port of Gothenburg.

"We quickly found a good collaboration with Träfraktkontoret, and we are now working together to contribute to ensuring that the railway shuttle also provides other companies in the region with good logistics solutions. It provides the region's businesses with a smoother logistics flow with secured deliveries, reduces freight costs, and collectively reduces our climate impact," says Roger Bergman, Marketing Manager at Stenvalls Trä AB.

Once in the Port of Gothenburg, the containers are directly transported to the container terminal operated by APM Terminals, where they are lifted directly onto ships for further transport worldwide. In theory, companies loading their goods in Piteå can have their containers on board a direct ocean-going vessel leaving the Port of Gothenburg just 48 hours later.

Tank containers are also transported on the shuttle, and starting March, trailer wagons will also be introduced on the train. The trailer wagons will be handled at the Arken Intermodal Terminal operated by Gothenburg Roro Terminal.

The shuttle is a sustainable logistics solution that results in significant climate savings. According to calculations by the Swedish Environmental Institute IVL, the shuttle leads to 80–90% less emissions of greenhouse gases compared to transporting the cargo on feeder vessels through the Baltic Sea.

"The Norrbotten region is one of the most important hubs in Swedish industry, and it is incredibly important to have a fast, reliable, and environmentally friendly connection with good capacity to Scandinavia's largest port. It also strengthens the Port of Gothenburg’s role as the guarantor of Sweden's entire business community's access to the world," says Antti Laakso, Senior Business Development Manager at the Gothenburg Port Authority.