Baxter commence rail freight from Mayo to Waterford Port

BAXTER Castlebar has commenced shipment of product by rail, utilising the Irish Rail freight facility at Ballina, 40 kilometres from its site.

A number of containers containing lifesaving medical products departed for destinations in mainland Europe, the Nordic countries and Turkey yesterday.

Carbon neutrality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a cornerstone of Baxter’s global sustainability goals and a key expectation of its global customer base. A key step in achieving these goals is reducing the environmental impact of their supply chain by improving the way they transport materials and finished products.

The shipment marks a key milestone in Baxter Castlebar and Swinford’s programme to improve sustainability by reducing carbon emissions throughout the supply chain.

It was made possible through close partnership with Irish Rail, XPO Logistics and Brian Cunningham Transport to open the route for rail shipments from Ballina to Waterford Port.

Said James Jordan, head of planning, warehouse and distribution at Baxter: “Our next goal is to connect to rail at Castlebar railway station, adjacent to the Castlebar site, and ultimately transport more than 20 containers daily via the reopened Western Rail Corridor connecting Castlebar to port.

“The development of an inland rail freight hub at Castlebar and the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor are key infrastructure enablers to support this drive to sustainability and will be fully supported by Baxter and other local businesses in the area.”