New multimodal connection between Flanders, France & Sweden
Headquartered in Brussels, the capital of both Belgium and Flanders, rail freight operator Lineas is working with shipping company DFDS to transport containers and trailers by rail from North Sea Port Ghent in Flanders to Lyon in France – and vice versa. This creates a new multimodal connection between Sweden, Belgium (Flanders) and France.
Connecting railway to shortsea service
“Six times a week, DFDS sails between its multimodal terminals in the Port of Gothenburg and North Sea Port Ghent. This short sea service now connects with the intermodal train,” says Jelle Van Koevorden, managing director at DFDS Belgium. Operated by Europe’s largest private rail freight operator Lineas, this intermodal train runs three times a week between Ghent (Flanders) and the Port Edouard Hérriot in Lyon (France). In April 2023, the frequency will be increased to five trips weekly.
The train carries containers and craneable and non-craneable trailers. The containers carry food and chemical products, among other things. In the trailers, there is general and industrial freight and cargo for the automotive industry.
9 times less carbon emissions
“The shift from road to rail transport between Ghent and the industrial region of Lyon accounts for 450 trains a year and 8,000 trailers and containers,” adds Bernard Gustin, CEO of Lineas. “This means there will be 9 times less carbon emissions.”
In addition, North Sea Port continues to build a sustainable multimodal port with this low-emission rail freight. “With the combined transport between Gothenburg, Ghent and Lyon, North Sea Port manages to further strengthen itself as a leading multimodal port in Western Europe,” concludes Daan Schalck, CEO of North Sea Port. “This is only amplified by the fact that cargo can smoothly arrive in Ghent by road, by ocean-going vessel and by barge from Antwerp, Rotterdam and Moerdijk.”
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North Sea Port press release
