Parcel transportation by streetcar: freight streetcar runs through Frankfurt
A streetcar that only transports Amazon parcels is now being tested in Frankfurt am Main.
The freight streetcar in Frankfurt am Main – an older streetcar model.
(Image: Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt)
A freight streetcar is being tested in Frankfurt am Main for a month. In the "LastMileTram RheinMain V" research project, a streetcar used exclusively for parcel transport is carrying parcels and packages from the outskirts of the city to Frankfurt city center. The aim of the project by Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (Frankfurt UAS), Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt am Main (VGF) and Amazon is to relieve road traffic and reduce noise and CO₂ emissions in the urban area.
(Image: Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt)
The freight streetcar runs from the "Stadion" stop to the "Zoo" stop and to the Gutleut depot and only transports parcels or packages from Amazon. These are transported in e-transporters from the Amazon distribution center in Raunheim to the streetcar station on the outskirts of the city. Deliveries are made to customers' front doors using electrically powered cargo bikes.
Many factors, complex interrelationships
Even though parcel service providers are working on more sustainable delivery concepts and are driving forward the electrification of their fleets, for the most part, vehicles with combustion engines are still being used, the project operators explain. For low-CO₂ delivery logistics, many factors and complex interrelationships need to be taken into account. Suitable vehicles, a comprehensive charging infrastructure and central micro-depots are needed; these are particularly scarce and expensive in inner-city locations.
This is where parcel transport by rail comes into its own. The current project aims to show how such a delivery concept compares to conventional delivery, taking into account issues such as inflation and CO₂ tax. The project is also looking at peaks in shipment volumes, how they can be absorbed and how transportation can be shifted to off-peak times. The project partners are also investigating whether bulky goods can be transported by rail and are testing the use of potentially suitable load carriers for bundling shipments.
The idea of transporting goods by public transport has been explored at Frankfurt UAS since 2018. In 2019, a "logistics streetcar" was also in operation in Frankfurt am Main for VGF and the logistics company Hermes, transporting passengers as well as goods. It ran for a short time on a trial basis from the Gutleutviertel district to the trade fair.
(anw)
