The Belgian company Lineas and the shipping and logistics company DFDS will transport containers and trailers by rail from Ghent in the North Sea Port to Lyon - and vice versa. This will create an intermodal link between Sweden, Belgium and France.
"DFDS sails between its multimodal terminals in the port of Gothenburg and Mercatordok in Ghent six times a week. This short sea service now links in with intermodal rail," says Jelle Van Koevorden, Managing Director DFDS Belgium.
The train service, operated by Lineas, Europe's largest private rail freight operator, will initially run three times a week between Ghent and Port Edouard Hérriot in Lyon. From mid-April, the frequency will be increased to five times a week.
"Shifting this freight from road to rail between Ghent and the important industrial region of Lyon will require 450 trains per year and 8,000 trailers/containers. Such a choice means 9 times less CO2 emissions," calculates Bernard Gustin, CEO of Lineas.
The train carries containers as well as craneable and non-craneable trailers. The containers carry products such as food and chemicals. The trailers carry general cargo, industrial cargo and cargo for the automotive industry.
Low-emission rail freight is one of the ways in which North Sea Port continues to build a sustainable multimodal port. "With the combined transport between Gothenburg, Ghent and Lyon, North Sea Port is further strengthening its position as a multimodal port in Western Europe," says Daan Schalck, CEO of North Sea Port. "Especially as the cargo arrives in Ghent from Antwerp, Rotterdam and Moerdijk by road, ocean-going vessel and barge."
