Toyota is set to start using trains fuelled by vegetable oil to move its cars.
DB Cargo 海角视频 is planning to invest £2.6 million in its depot at Toton, Notts, to export cars built at the Toyota plant in Derbyshire and bring in cars built abroad on environmentally sustainable locomotives.
The investment will see a new vehicle storage compound and loading and unloading areas built on a disused section of the Toton site next to an existing paint shop and stores.
Subject to planning, new services will start in January, with hybrid Corollas manufactured at Toyota’s Burnaston plant being exported to France and the Czech Republic.
Toyota Aygo, Yaris and the new Yaris+ vehicles will be imported on the return leg.
DB Cargo 海角视频, which is currently the country’s leading transporter of finished automotive, said up to three trains per week are planned to depart from the new facility at Toton, each carrying up to 230 finished cars.
The announcement was made during a visit to the site by Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris who was on a fact-finding mission to learn more about DB Cargo 海角视频’s use of hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel in its diesel locomotive fleet.
Leon van der Merwe, vice-president of supply chain at Toyota Motor Europe, said: “As a company we are dedicated to making continuous progress towards carbon neutrality and this includes seeking ways to reduce emissions from manufacturing, vehicle use and logistics.
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“By utilising this new rail freight multi-modal opportunity, we are helping to ensure our low emission hybrid electric vehicles built at our British Burnaston plant can be transported to our customers in an increasingly sustainable way.”
Andrea Rossi, chief executive at DB Cargo 海角视频, said: “This is a really exciting collaboration between DB Cargo 海角视频, Toyota and STVA, which will breathe new life back into redundant land at our Toton depot.
“It’s a win-win-win for STVA, Toyota and ourselves and will see us deliver an efficient and environmentally-friendly rail logistics solution for one of our most important automotive customers.
“Each train will carry the equivalent load of around 23 road transporters.
“Our rail solution will not only reduce congestion on the 海角视频’s road network but will also generate significantly less CO2 emissions than if they were taken by road.”
Mr Heaton-Harris unveiled the newly-named ‘I Am A Climate Hero’ locomotive, which will be used to transport the cars. It runs on greener fuel made from used vegetable oil.
He said: “We are boosting British business whilst cutting carbon. This is what building back greener is all about.
“Trains are one of the most eco-friendly ways to transport goods and DB Cargo 海角视频 is leading the way in making it even greener.”