New rail shuttle between APM Terminals Gothenburg and Umeå

Idustry in Northern Sweden now has yet another sustainable direct link to world markets via the extensive line offering from APM Terminals in the Port of Gothenburg. The brand-new rail shuttle will run from APM Terminals on 27th May, with its final destination at the Port of Umeå.

A year ago, First Row Shipping & Logistics AB, headed by Nikolas Rowland, started the groundbreaking rail shuttle from Piteå to APM Terminals in Gothenburg. The offering is now being expanded with an additional direct connection, this time from the Port of Umeå. The new service will initially depart one day a week in each direction.

'Local industries in the Umeå area has shown a lot of interest in having a solution similar to the one we have for Piteå. Umeå currently has no stable solution for container freight, so we're filling a gap in the market with a product that's also far more sustainable than those available today', says Nikolas Rowland, Managing Director and owner of First Row Shipping & Logistics AB.

'Saves at least one week of lead time'

The train, which can carry 68 containers - corresponding to 24 lorries - departs from Gothenburg on Friday morning. On Saturday morning, it arrives at the freight train terminal in Umeå, where it is loaded with freight to the south before leaving for the port of Gothenburg again the same night. The train then arrives directly in APM Terminal's container terminal in Gotheburg on Sunday, where connecting ships await with direct departures to Asia and the US, among other places.

'Compared to a combined solution of trucks and feeders from the east coast, this arrangement saves at least a week of lead time. Given how industry is growing in Northern Sweden, it's great to be able to help by offering direct links to both Asia and the USA, which are extremely important markets for the companies in the north', says Nikolas Rowland.

'The goal is for the solution to be completely fossil-free'

It’s no secret that railways in combination with ocean-going vessels are by far the most environmentally friendly solution. Nikolas Rowland believes this is a significant reason for the great interest in shuttle services.

'The environmental aspect is extremely important for industry in Northern Sweden. For example, if you produce fossil-free steel, the supply chain should also be fossil-free, and we look forward to contributing to this. For the shuttle to be 100% fossil-free, the ports in the north will have to switch to fossil-free handling, like APM Terminals in Gothenburg', he says.

'Big plans for 2023'

According to Nikolas Rowland, the shuttle is just the beginning of yet another success story.

'We've submitted some pretty ambitious requests to the Swedish Transport Administration ahead of 2023. The customer base is definitely there, we just need to put the puzzle together with timetables and train operators'.

'APM Terminals' flexibility and responsiveness are a strong contribution towards the success of commuter services. Any problems that arise are always solved, which gives ourselves and our customers a security that's worth its weight in gold', concludes Nikolas Rowland.