Intermodal terminal moves to Gothenburg Port

Plans are in place to move the freight terminal currently located in the central city of Gothenburg to the Port of Gothenburg. The switch will allow a higher proportion of transport by rail instead of road.

At the intermodal terminal, in the city centre of Gothenburg, freight is transferred from rail to road and then distributed to companies throughout the region.

At the beginning of 2018, the intermodal terminal will need to be moved to allow future development of the city. Following an agreement between the City of Gothenburg and the Swedish Transport Administration, it has now been confirmed that the terminal will be relocated to the Arken area next to Gothenburg Roro Terminal in the Port of Gothenburg.

“As approximately 70 per cent of the freight is related to the port, Volvo or other activities near the port, it will be an extremely advantageous location,” said Arvid Guthed, Vice President Port Development at the Gothenburg Port Authority.

Twelve trains and 200 trucks each day
On a normal weekday, 12 trains and 200 trucks arrive at and depart from the terminal. Apart from domestic trains, there are also departures for various destinations in Europe. During the course of a year, around 70,000 trailers are switched from one mode of transport to the other at the intermodal terminal.

Arvid Guthed continued: “The intermodal terminal at the port will have the same capacity as the current terminal. Relocation will also mean that heavy road traffic will be directed away from the city centre to the large roads leading to and from the port. Generally, a higher proportion of transport will take place by rail instead of road.”

The intermodal terminal at the Port of Gothenburg will be coordinated with the closure of the present terminal. The present terminal is operated by Green Cargo. It has not yet been decided who will be the new operator following the move to the port.

New plans for cross docking of forest products
Apart from the intermodal terminal, there is also extensive cross docking of other products at the present terminal, including timber and paper, which arrive at the terminal by rail. These operations will cease on March 31, 2017.

“We have a number of cross docking terminals for forest products in the port area. We are working intensively to expand capacity at these terminals to ensure the same volumes can continue to be cross docked in Gothenburg,” Arvid Guthed explained.

Paving the way for trailer trains
The new terminal will be located beside Gothenburg Roro Terminal. Trailers will be transported from the ro-ro terminals by ship to different destinations, including the United Kingdom and Belgium.

“The Port of Gothenburg is internationally renowned for the fact that half of the containers are transported to and from the port by rail. With the intermodal terminal located in the heart of the port, new opportunities will be opened up to switch trailer transport from road to rail with substantial environmental gains as a result,” Arvid Guthed concluded.