Crossing Europe’s north in 14 hours

The Scandinavian Rail Shuttle is an exciting addition to the DB Cargo family’s product portfolio. Since the beginning of November, the shuttle has been operating between the freight hub Taulov on the Jutland peninsula in Denmark and Katrineholm near Stockholm in Sweden. The rail transport solution was launched by the subsidiary DB Cargo Scandinavia, the first provider ever to offer direct and regular intermodal rail transport between Denmark and Sweden. DB Cargo Scandinavia here assumes the very particular role of operator, managing booking, capacity utilisation and operation all from a single source - even across the border.

It takes the Scandinavian Rail Shuttle just 14 hours to transport trailers, swap bodies and containers between the main economic centres in Denmark and Sweden overnight, with a capacity of up to 38 load units. The three round trips per week begin and end in Taulov on Jutland in Denmark and Katrineholm, near the Swedish capital Stockholm. Consumer goods are transported to Sweden, and paper and steel are transported back to Denmark in the opposite direction. The intermodal direct connection is not only fast, but is also kind to the environment. Carbon emissions are about 80% lower than if the transport took place by road, with savings of 1.2 tonnes of CO₂ per trailer and route.

"Rail offers an appealing green transport solution, and we issue customers with a carbon footprint certificate that documents the CO₂ savings they make as they contribute to protecting the environment," says Maarten de Ridder, Head of International Sales at DB Cargo.

Service can be booked online starting in 2021

The Scandinavian Rail Shuttle is suitable for companies that want to shift traffic from road to rail and thus transport goods in a more eco-friendly and cost-efficient way. Ad-hoc bookings can be made conveniently online. The shuttle product will be available in five round trips per week from autumn 2021.

"It is a transport service that we have created and launched with great commitment and attention to detail. And we achieved it in these very challenging COVID times," says Oliver Gesche, CFO of DB Cargo Scandinavia. "With the connections to our European network, and indeed all the way to China, I see great potential for our Scandinavian Rail Shuttle."