No flights without trains – new agreement between AFAB and Green Cargo

After a long and successful 15-year partnership between A Flygbränslehantering (AFAB) and Green Cargo AB, both parties have signed a new agreement for another five years. Communication, flexibility and high levels of punctuality are key factors in this sustainable logistics solution. Since the partnership began, rail freight has replaced approximately 210,000 truck shipments, reducing AFAB’s emissions by 98 percent – a total of 76,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

The aviation fuel is shipped by rail from the Port of Gävle to the Brista unloading station outside Arlanda. For the past 15 years, Green Cargo has transported over 8,271,000 tonnes of aviation fuel in nearly 130,000 wagons and 7,600 trains. Rail freight means fewer shipments by truck, which reduces wear and particle emissions, thereby improving traffic safety on the roads.

The volumes of aviation fuel shipped has increased through the years and Green Cargo has run between 10 and 15 trains per week. But when the pandemic hit in 2020, the need for aviation fuel was drastically reduced and single-commodity trains fell to one train per week. Travel has picked up again, but the future is uncertain. AFAB and Green Cargo have worked hard during the past year to find solutions for a new logistics solution adapted to the new normal.

“We are very pleased with the employees’ consistently high level of quality and commitment. No matter the time of day, the trains keep on running. Green Cargo has a winning concept, with delivery reliability that’s hard to compete with when it comes to freight as important as this. We look forward to another five years together with Green Cargo,” says Bengt Westman, Managing Director of AFAB.

Together, the parties have built a stable solution for a long-term collaboration. For all these years, Green Cargo has delivered at essentially 100 percent punctuality, with only a handful of deviations in 15 years.

“Important parameters for the agreement are communication, flexibility and high levels of punctuality. At Green Cargo, we are improving further to meet AFAB’s needs and the demand for fuel at Arlanda. Now we’re starting to see a trend of increased air travel again after the pandemic, which means more trains for us. We’re pleased that AFAB has once again chosen to work with us for a continued stable and sustainable rail solution,” says Björn Nordh, sales executive at Green Cargo.