The Belgian company Lineas and shipping and logistics firm DFDS are joining forces to transport containers and trailers from Ghent in North Sea Port by rail to Lyon – and vice versa. This will create an intermodal connection between Sweden, Belgium and France, according to the company's release.
The train carries containers and craneable and non-craneable trailers. The containers are used to carry products including food and chemicals. The trailers contain general and industrial cargo and cargo for the automotive industry.
Bernard Gustin, CEO of Lineas: “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.”
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. "Particularly since the cargo arrives in Ghent by road, sea-going vessel and barge from Antwerp, Rotterdam and Moerdijk."