Eddie Stobart turns to rail to meet demand for low-carbon haulage

Could Stobart be leaving the roadways behind?

In what could prove a landmark journey in the history of the UK's haulage sector, industry giant Eddie Stobart will tomorrow replace some of its iconic lorries with its inaugural European rail freight trip.

The train is scheduled to depart Valencia on a two-day trip to the company's distribution centre in Dagenham, East London, and will carry 30 refrigerated containers of fruit and vegetables, marking the first time fresh produce has been shipped through the Channel Tunnel.

In an interview with the Observer, the company's chief executive William Stobart said that the journey represented the longest single rail journey in Europe and would take 30 lorries off the road. He added that over the course of the year, running the trip once a week would cut the company's emissions by 8,600 tonnes.

Stobart said that the new route was in direct response to growing demand from customers for greener deliveries.

"There has been a real change of attitude from the companies we deal with in recent months," he told the newspaper. "Suddenly they all want to know if they can have their goods carried in an environmentally sensitive way and, in particular, if they can have them moved by train."

He added that the new route had been enabled after extensive negotiations with continental rail operators to ensure that the train does not face delays.

He also signaled that the route was part of the company's wider strategy to significantly increase the amount of material it transports by train, adding that the plan was to operate five trains a week between Valencia and London by the end of 2010.