Deregulated rail transport positive for Holmen and the environment
From the turn of the year Holmen, along with other companies behind ScandFibre Logistics AB, will start to carry 2.4 million tonnes of forest products annually by rail from Sweden to terminals close to customers in Europe. Deregulation of goods transport has provided the opportunity to create solutions together with pan-European actors instead of solely with Swedish operators.
The transport and logistics services are provided by ScandFibre Logistics AB, which is jointly owned by Billerud, Holmen, Korsnäs, Mondi Dynäs and Smurfit Kappa. Trains will leave the Swedish mills every working day. At special hubs, the wagons will be joined together into block trains for further travel downward to the continent. This industry collaboration gives unique volumes and via the new pan-European actors, block trains can be driven down to customer terminals throughout Europe in just a few days.
“The change means that the transport costs will decrease through a more flexible transport network that is more rational in terms of where our customers are located,” says Roland Carlsson, head of strategic purchasing and logistics coordination in the Holmen Group.
ScandFibre Logistics is one of Sweden’s biggest rail freight companies. They have entered into six-year agreements with four suppliers concerning operation of the rail-based logistics system known as Rail 11.
“We offer cost-effective backhaul – going northward – from much of Europe to recipients in Sweden. The short lead times and environmentally friendly freight services should be of major interest to companies that deal with Sweden,” says Mats Berlin, MD of ScandFibre Logistics AB.
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For further information please contact:
Mats Berlin, MD, ScandFibre Logistics AB,
+46 (0)8-470 33 11, +46 (0)70-242 91 13
Roland Carlsson, head of strategic purchasing and logistics coordination, Holmen AB,
+46 (0)8-666 21 56, +46 (0)73-257 63 13
ScandFibre Logistics AB provides and develops transport and logistics solutions for Swedish forest product companies. Its core business is to operate and further develop its proprietary Rail 11 railway systems. In an initial phase Rail 11 will involve the equivalent of around thirty unit trains travelling from Sweden to the continent each week. The owners of the company are Korsnäs AB, Billerud AB, SmurfitKappa Kraftliner AB, Mondi Dynäs AB and Holmen AB, each holding 20%. www.scandfibre.se