Author: Carles Miralpeix i Llorach / FGC

Last-mile freight deliveries have been in the spotlight for a few years now. The need to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution in cities and to give back spaces to the citizens make governments take measures  and implement vehicle restriction policies, also affecting logistics sector.

The GREEN-LOG project aims to help this transformation by improving last-mile delivery services, providing innovative solutions to complex problems.

Thanks to the participation of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) in the project, the involvement of the railway sector in this delivery chain is seen as an important tool, not only to promote the use of public transport among citizens, but also to collaborate in deliveries, avoiding the use of polluting vehicles.

In this article, we aim to show some examples of the use of railway lines that have been carried out around the world in the delivery of last-mile packages, including the railway as an important element within the chain that encompasses the last-mile logistics, commenting on the pros and cons of each of them.

Usually, when we talk about transporting goods by rail, we think of trains and infrastructures dedicated exclusively to the transport of freight, and over long distances. However, especially in the last 20 years, the possibility of parcel delivery on passenger trains, in spaces shared by packages and train users, has been analysed. In addition, the installation of parcel lockers is widely established in many stations in many cities, both by public postal companies and private delivery services.

On several occasions, the possibility of using the conventional passenger network of suburban trains, metro, and tram as a driving force to promote the use of rail for freight delivery has been studied. Some examples where pilot tests have been carried out, or the service has been used for several years, can be found in the cities of Dresden, Amsterdam, Paris, and Zurich. In these, dedicated freight trains were generally used, but adapted to the characteristics of the passengers’ network they were using. Although studies have shown that their implementation would reduce pollution from delivery vans or trucks, issues such as the cost of their implementation and the impact on regular passenger service have not made this type of service popular.

On the other hand, studies have been carried out on the shared use of train between passengers and freight. One of the most interesting studies, carried out by the TRANSyT Centre of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, analysed the possibility of using part of the wagons to place mobile trolleys to transport packages between stations, and after being able to distribute them in lockers, avoiding the use of vans or other vehicles. The proposal has been evaluated and, currently, the European project FOR-FREIGHT is using the studies done as a basis for the application of a pilot test, which will be carried out in the coming months in the Madrid Metro itself, together with DHL.

At GREEN-LOG, taking these ideas as a basis, we intend to advance in this research, focusing our Living Labs on improving sustainability, reducing traffic, and promoting the use of sustainable transport. Specifically, in the Living Lab in Barcelona the use of the train or public transport in the chain of last-mile delivery will be analysed to assess the market and find possible future logistics services.

Throughout the project, we will have to face various challenges related to the wider deployment of sustainable logistics practices, such as achieving competitive prices. The consortium is dedicated to developing and testing a multitude of innovative solutions, with the highest possible impact on environmental sustainability, also considering their financial viability to make the last-mile delivery sector as green as possible.

Photo credits: Denis Belitsky / Shuterstock

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