Boosted by an 8% growth in Sweden’s container market during the first quarter of 2024, interest in rail transport is surging across the Nordics, with APM Terminals Gothenburg forecasting a record year for railway volumes.
“The remarkable growth of the Swedish container market during the first quarter of the year was driven by strong exports of mainly forestry products, combined with an upturn in import volumes. Sustainability is becoming a top priority in procurement and rail solutions are not only environmentally friendly but also economically beneficial,” stated Per Wahlström, market analyst at APM Terminals Gothenburg.
To accommodate this rising demand, APM Terminals expands its rail network, adding new destinations within and beyond Sweden’s borders.
“The unique geographical position of APM Terminals Gothenburg and the widespread rail network is attracting customers from all over Scandinavia,” explained Per Wahlström. “Now both Norwegian and Finnish goods are being handled in Gothenburg, and the railway network has been expanded with destinations that we could only dream of previously.”
In the first half of this year, APM Terminals Gothenburg added four new destinations to its rail network: Oslo, Umeå, Bastuträsk, and Haparanda.
The new twice-weekly shuttle service between Oslo in Norway and Gothenburg in Sweden is operated by Norway’s leading train operator, CargoNet. This connection between two key Nordic hubs enhances the entire region’s competitiveness. With growing awareness, the service is expected to increase to five weekly departures by year-end.
Confidence in the railway network is at an all-time high, with the terminal anticipating the launch of at least five new shuttle services in the second half of 2024. With 40% of the terminal’s rail capacity still available, there’s significant potential for growth, as highlighted by Svante Altås, salesperson and railway expert at APM Terminals Gothenburg: “I feel confident to say that we’re heading for a new record year.”
“The fact that our Nordic neighbours have now found their way to APM Terminals Gothenburg by rail is, to say the least, an exciting development, which I think we’ve only seen the beginning of,” he concluded.
