New transportation options will initially have three weekly departures from Valencia Terminal to Barking Terminal, East London. Trains will also carry non-refrigerated cargo on their way from the UK back to Spain.

After several successful testsits regular departure will start at the end of October, right at the peak of the fruit and vegetable export season in Spain. More than 90% of these exports go north, producing up to 1,400 trucks cross the border every day north of Spain to major markets such as UK, France, Benelux, Germany and Scandinavia.

Diego Pardones Montero, dThe Director General of the regions of France, Iberia and the Maghreb, has assured: “Our new product solves some of the challenges our customers in Spain face when exporting their products. First of all, many large retailers want to reduce the carbon footprint of the products they sell. Second, there is a shortage of truck drivers, which means today’s cross-border trucks are often limited and unreliable. Third, the limited capacity and quality of main roads, causing congestion. Our rail transport makes Spanish exporters less dependent on driver shortages and road traffic, and offers a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to trucks. Major customers (importers, manufacturers and retailers) operate with sea and land cargo flows. By offering our secure ground distribution network via rail, we will help create faster, greener and more efficient routes, regardless of the origin and destination of sensitive cargoes.”

Furthermore, Maersk is simplify and optimize the supply chain with Sadditional logistics services ranging from customs brokers or cold storage to Captain Peter, a technology that ensures full transparency of data about the status of cargo in refrigerated containers throughout its journey.