According to a statement from Autoeuropa, rail transport means a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 80% compared to truck transport, and a reduction of 32 truck journeys per day between the Palmela factory and the Port of Setúbal.

Rui Baptista, director of Logistics at Volkswagen Autoeuropa, points out that rail transport not only has a smaller impact on the environment than road transport but is also "more financially competitive" in the medium term.

According to Autoeuropa, in a first phase, until December of this year, the daily transport of 250 cars by train is expected, but the company plans to increase the use of rail to two daily trains, starting in 2020, ensuring the transport of 500 cars per day to the Port of Setúbal.

According to the company, the rail transport of 500 vehicles/day means that 68% of the production of the Palmela factory will be transported by rail and the remaining production by road.

Autoeuropa's car factory, which currently has 5,800 employees, last year produced a total of 223,200 units of the T-Roc, Sharan and SEAT Alhambra models, most of which were exported by sea, through the Port of Setúbal.