Amazon doubles rail and sea shipments across Europe

• 500+ routes: Amazon moves products via more than 500 sea and rail routes across Europe.
• Volumes doubled: We move twice as many loads via sea and rail as we did three years ago.
• 170 million packages: Last year, we transported 170 million customer packages by sea and rail across Europe — a 45% increase year over year.
• 35% of long-distance transfers: More than 35% of inventory transfers on lanes exceeding 500 km across our EU network now travel by sea or rail.
• Almost 50% less carbon: Switching from road to rail or sea reduces carbon emissions by almost 50% on average.

Europe's unique geographic landscape and well-connected infrastructure means that rail and sea routes are often a more efficient — and even faster — mode of transport for moving goods. That is why we have been steadily expanding our use of short sea routes and rail to transport packages and inventory across the continent.

Today, we move products via more than 500 sea and rail routes across Europe. That's twice as many loads via sea and rail as we did three years ago, reducing carbon emissions by almost 50% compared to road transport.

How does Amazon use rail and sea to move inventory across Europe?

In 2025, more than 35% of inventory transfers on lanes exceeding 500 kilometres across our European network are performed using sea or rail transport. By placing products closer to where customers live, we can offer a wider selection with fast and reliable delivery — particularly for the hundreds of thousands of independent sellers who rely on Amazon to reach customers across borders.

Independent sellers account for 60% of total paid units sold on Amazon. These are mostly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), many of which sell on Amazon to reach new customers both within their home countries and internationally. Sea and rail routes are increasingly essential for moving their products between our buildings.

How does Amazon deliver customer packages by rail and sea?

We are also using sea and rail transportation to deliver customer orders directly. Last year across Europe, we transported 170 million packages via sea and rail — a 45% increase compared to the year before.

How do small businesses benefit from Amazon's rail and sea network?

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To ensure that customers across Europe benefit from a wide selection of products as well as fast and reliable delivery, we analyze which items are ordered most frequently in each location so that we can place those products closer to where customers live. This benefits SMEs like Mameido, Amarcords, and Gamble & Gunn.

Mameido

It has always been the dream of five friends from Düsseldorf — Sarah, Benjamin, Matthias, Moreno, and Stefan — to create simple yet beautifully designed water bottles and mugs that would accompany people around the world throughout their day. When they started their own company, Mameido, they decided to focus on products and design, and entrusted Amazon with taking care of how their bottles and mugs reach customers. Mameido's story is shared by thousands of SMEs across Germany which are growing their businesses by selling to customers all over Europe.

Amarcords

Founded in Milan in 2015, Amarcords specialises in the production of vintage design light bulbs. The company creates unique products that combine the history of electricity with modern, low-energy-consuming technology. In true Italian spirit, Amarcords' founder, Marco Avarello, believes that light is a visual emotion that can be experienced in homes, lofts, clubs, restaurants, gardens, and terraces. While Marco focuses on the colours, shapes, and materials of his bulbs, we ensure they reach and delight customers across Europe.

Gamble & Gunn

British hat designers Gamble & Gunn believe the original energy and passion that was put into creating a classic hat doesn't die — it only changes forms and owners. They use traditional heritage hat patterns to create quintessentially British hats, from classic flat caps to pork pie hats and fedoras. Amazon makes sure these uniquely crafted products reach customers across Europe, quickly and without hassle.

How does Amazon's multimodal transport network work?

Our rail and sea networks are built on partnerships with European rail and sea carriers including Cargo Beamer, VIIa, the Mercitalia Group, Grimaldi, Stena Line, DFDS, and others. To move flexibly between different transportation modes, we use trailers that can be easily transferred between ships, freight trains, and trucks.

A typical product journey starts at an Amazon fulfilment centre, where the trailer is loaded and taken to a sea port or rail terminal. From there, the load travels by ship or rail to another port or terminal, where local drivers pick it up and take it to the final destination. Where we combine sea and rail with road transport, we plan routes so that trailers travel the longest distances by rail or sea. This reduces driving times significantly and enables us to engage local road transport partners.

Amazon continues to be Europe’s largest corporate purchaser of carbon-free energy

With over 260 European projects, Amazon is investing in more than 10 gigawatts of carbon-free energy in Europe, which is enough to power more than 8 million European and UK households annually.

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How does rail and sea transport reduce Amazon's carbon emissions?

By moving products by sea or rail instead of via road by trucks, we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint. On average, taking a rail or sea route to transport packages or inventory helps us reduce carbon emissions by almost 50%.

With more than 500 routes now active and volumes doubling over the past three years, rail and sea transport is a cornerstone of how we deliver for customers while working toward our sustainability goals.