Supermarket chain Tesco plans to transport goods and produce from Spain by train in a bid to avoid a shortage of HGV drivers.
Chief executive Ken Murphy said the UK's biggest retailer has started using a chilled rail service to bring fruit and vegetables into the country from Spain, helping to cut the number of trucks it has on roads and guarantee deliveries.
Rail services are regularly used to transport goods across Europe by Tesco has stepped up moves to import goods by train. From 65,000 containers a year on rail, Tesco plans to increase that to 90,000 containers by November or December to make sure its shelves are fully-stocked.
Mr Murphy, in an interview for a forthcoming Reuters conference, said that the last three months had been "quite challenging" but that the supermarket had coped well due to its close ties with suppliers and detailed planning.
He said: "We're one of the few if not the only grocery retailer in the UK that uses rail extensively. That helped us during the HGV challenges we've had during the summer.
"To put it into context, by shipping 65,000 by rail, we save about 22 million road miles a year."
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he is making preparations to deal with potential supply problems until “Christmas and beyond” as some suggest supermarket shoppers should quietly start to stock up on cranberry sauce in case the worst comes to the worst.
The UK economy has been disrupted by several factors, including labour shortages, new immigration rules affecting HGV drivers and the lingering effects of the pandemic.
There is estimated to be a shortfall of around 100,000 lorry drivers, and soaring energy costs have also added to the cost of food production and logistics.
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
