A “beer train” replaces 5,000 lorries

21/11/2019

The American-Belgian brewery group, AB InBev transports millions of hectolitres of beer to the port of Antwerp. There is now a direct train line connecting the brewery in Louvain to the dockside at Antwerp. An alternative to road transport which is proving to be faster and less polluting.

A new rail connection in the port of Antwerp now connects both banks of the Scheldt. This should reduce congestion around the port and Antwerp's ring road by 5,000 lorries each year.

The new train, which will operate from 2020, can carry 47 containers. According to the brewing giant, it is estimated that each train will reduce CO2 emissions by 75%, a figure that would have been even greater if the diesel locomotive had been electric. However, the tracks in the port have not yet been electrified. This more environmentally friendly approach is in line with other recent actions. For example, since April, AB InBev, the world leader in the brewing sector, has been delivering its beers (Stella Artois, Jupiler, Leffe…) produced in the Liège region from Monsin Island to the port of Antwerp using barges/boats along the Albert canal.