Capespan have worked collaboratively with Co-operative Food and Primary Logistics over many years, and have used the facilities at West Thurrock since it opened.  Traditionally vehicles carrying citrus fruits have arrived several times a week, by road from Spain. The stock is held in Thurrock and then picked by the primary team and dispatched to all other TCD depots.

Friday 30th October 2009 saw the first container arrive at Thurrock having spent most of its journey on a train.  Eddie Stobart working with DB Schenker have launched a high-speed rail link from Valencia to Dagenham. This new project sees purpose built containers, holding up to 26 pallets each travel on board a dedicated train, typically departing Valencia midnight Wednesday, arriving into the Ford Motors Dagenham site on the Friday morning at 06:00. From Dagenham, the containers are literally plucked from the train and transported the short distance to Thurrock.

The buying teams in Manchester were very keen and backed the project from the outset; it fits exactly with our group-wide commitment to reducing CO2 emissions.

Greener Deliveries
The main advantage of using rail is the huge saving of up to 400,000 road miles per season. The total road trip takes approx 56 hours, as opposed to 48 hours when the train is running at full capability.
Amazingly, each container per one-way trip saves 1 tonne of CO2 emissions.