DB Cargo and Coca-Cola

DB Cargo and Coca-Cola join forces to put the truck on the track 

Coca-Cola has not only shaped our image of Father Christmas, but everyone is also familiar with their Christmas-themed trucks which tour Germany every year, stopping in various cities. But this year is different: for the first time, the legendary Christmas truck will also be travelling by climate-friendly rail, courtesy of DB Cargo!

The partnership between Coca-Cola Germany and DB Cargo offers visitors a very special experience this month: the Christmas train will stop at four railway stations across Germany. The highlight for every Coca-Cola and railway fan: the actual Christmas truck has been lifted as a unit onto a DB Cargo freight wagon and transported by eco-friendly rail to the station, where it can now be explored. Fans can also have their photo taken with Santa Claus and receive a personalised Coke with their name on it. Free tickets are available in the Coca-Cola app.

The partnership between DB Cargo and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners has been in place since 2016. Just like Deutsche Bahn and DB Cargo, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners also want to be completely climate neutral by 2040. Rail freight transport is one building block in helping to achieve this goal. Coca-Cola has 14 production plants and other logistics locations in Germany so that the company can supply customers over the shortest possible distances. In some cases, however, long-distance transport is necessary – for example, if a product can only be filled at one location but is in demand nationwide. In order to be able to transport beverages by rail in such cases, Coca-Cola has worked with DB Cargo to set up a nationwide rail freight network in Germany.

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The rail network also created a round trip concept that makes logistical sense. This is because transport by rail is particularly attractive for reusable packaging: in most cases, the empties are transported straight back again.

A site needn't necessarily have a private siding to connect to our rail network. The first and last miles are covered by lorry. With the help of swap bodies, goods can be transferred quickly and efficiently from the lorry to the freight train and back onto a lorry at the destination. Road and rail: an ideal combination. In this way, Coca-Cola already saved around five million road kilometres and around 3,000 short tons of CO2 between 2020 and 2022.
 

"The partnership with Coca-Cola is an exciting opportunity for us to bring the joy and magic of Christmas directly to people through our environmentally friendly network. Together with a strong partner, we create unforgettable moments for rail travellers in our stations and are proud to be part of this unique Christmas tradition," emphasises Dr Sigrid Evelyn Nikutta, Member of the Management Board for Freight Transport at Deutsche Bahn AG and Chair of the Management Board and CEO of DB Cargo AG.