Is the future of package delivery rolling on tracks? In collaboration with partners, we’re launching a pilot project in Germany: the Gütertram – a tram used exclusively for package transport. The pilot project is part of the ‘LastMileTram RheinMain V’ research project of Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (Frankfurt UAS), together with Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt am Main (VGF) and Intermodal City Injections (a collaboration between Amazon Transportation Services (ATS) and Amazon Logistics (AMZL) teams).
This is one project coming out of Amazon’s Intermodal City Injections programme, which seeks to develop innovative ways to move packages in our network to the customer, bringing together expertise from ATS and AMZL. These modes by rail and waterway could soon ensure that even more packages are delivered quickly, with zero tailpipe emissions, whilst reducing road congestion for the citizens of major cities like Frankfurt.
With our Climate Pledge, we have set ourselves the goal of becoming CO2-neutral by 2040, and the electrification of our transport network plays an important role in this. That is why we are constantly developing, testing, and investing in new solutions, such as Gütertram.
The emission-free trio
Of course, not all customers live right next to a tram stop. So how does the ‘last mile’—the final leg from the distribution centre to the front door—remain free of tailpipe emissions? In this operational design, electric vans transport packages from our delivery station to the first tram stop on the outskirts of the city, the tram then carries them electrically to the city centre, and from there, electric cargo bikes deliver the packages to the customers. Within the city, they avoid traffic jams —without emitting any carbon as they move.
Martin Andersen, MEU Country Director, Amazon Logistics said: “The decarbonisation of our logistics network plays a key role in achieving the goal of The Climate Pledge. We are therefore delighted to be working with VGF and UAS on this project.”
More packages delivered with zero-tailpipe emissions
To continue driving such innovations forward, we plan to invest more than €1 billion in the electrification and decarbonisation of our European transport network over the next few years. And this is already visible: in 2023, more than 150 million packages were delivered across Europe using electric delivery vans, e-cargo bikes, e-mopeds, and pushcarts. As more packages are delivered with zero tailpipe emissions on the last mile, we’re moving closer to a CO2-neutral future—not just on roads and bike lanes, but perhaps also on rails.
Learn more about Amazon's commitment to sustainability here.
