Renewed rail shuttle service between Gothenburg and Drammen

The Port of Gothenburg is expanding its range of rail shuttles by once again offering a shuttle service to Drammen in Norway. The first departure will be at the beginning of November and is part of a joint venture with Green Cargo and H. Strøm/Rail Terminal Drammen.

"Norway has for a long time been a priority area for shuttle traffic and we are extremely pleased to once again include this route in our shuttle system," says Stig-Göran Thorén, head of rail operations at the Port of Gothenburg.

The rail shuttle will operate at night in both directions with five departures each week. The first shuttle will leave the Port of Gothenburg on November 2.

"We already have customers who have opted to transport their freight using this shuttle and our hope is that more operators and forwarders will realise the benefits of rail transport on this route," says Stig-Göran Thorén.

Norway and the Oslo region make up a very important catchment area for the port and the new shuttle to Norway is the result of co-operation between the Port of Gothenburg, Green Cargo and H. Strøm/Rail Terminal Drammen. They now hope to develop the system further, with transshipment in Drammen for onward movement by rail to other destinations, including Trondheim.

The number of rail shuttles has risen significantly since the Port of Gothenburg began investing in rail-based freight transport just over 10 years ago. With the new service to Norway, there are now 26 shuttles to and from the port. Freight transport by rail is in environmentally smart option. In 2008 alone, transporting freight by rail led to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 48,000 tonnes compared with transport by road. This is equivalent to driving 10,000 times around the world by car.

For further information, please contact Eva Jonasson, Media Relations Officer, Port of Gothenburg, tel. 031-731 22 45.


Factfile: Port of Gothenburg
The Port of Gothenburg is the biggest port in the Nordic region and the only port in Sweden with the capacity to receive the largest freight vessels with a direct link to other parts of the world. The port offers a wide range of European and intercontinental routes. Around one-third of Swedish imports and exports pass through the Port of Gothenburg. The 26 rail shuttles allow companies throughout Sweden to maintain a direct link to the biggest port in the Nordic region.