In a bid for sustainable development and reducing their carbon footprint, two major French companies, Carrefour and Danone, have teamed up to organize rail transportation of mineral water, this is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Carrefour and Danone Organized Rail Transportation of Mineral Water
Photo: Carrefour

This project marks an important step towards eco-friendly logistics and demonstrates how collaboration between companies can lead to significant outcomes.

Goals and Scope of the Project

The main goal of this partnership is to transport Evian mineral water from the Danone factory in Évian-les-Bains to the Grans distribution center in Miramas.

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The center supplies over 130 Carrefour retail outlets in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.

The distance between the factory and the distribution center is about 600 kilometers, which will now be covered using rail transport.

Environmental Benefits

Traditionally, trucks were used to transport the water, leading to significant CO₂ emissions.

With the switch to rail transportation, Carrefour estimates that CO₂ emissions will be reduced by 400 tons per year.

Additionally, this shift will eliminate 500 truck trips annually, reducing road congestion and the risk of traffic accidents.

Logistical Infrastructure

The rail transport is organized with the support of several companies.

French company Regiorail, specializing in rail logistics, provides the traction rolling stock.

The 4PL logistics provider IDEO is responsible for establishing the complete logistics chain, ensuring efficient coordination of all transport stages.

It is worth noting that the track infrastructure at the Grans distribution center already existed but required modernization to meet current standards.

Investment in infrastructure upgrades has been a crucial step for the successful launch of the project.

Future Prospects

The plan is to transport about 500 pallets of Evian water bottles weekly, ensuring stable product supplies to Carrefour outlets. Successful implementation of the project could serve as an example for other companies striving for sustainable development and carbon footprint reduction.

Moreover, this project opens new opportunities for further collaboration between Carrefour and Danone.

Joint efforts may be directed towards expanding the use of rail transport for other types of products, further reducing the negative impact on the environment.

Photo: Carrefour

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