Source: https://www.railfreight.com/railfreight/2024/02/29/terminal-in-alsace-launches-first-freight-train-to-port-of-antwerp/

Author: Marco Raimondi

Terminal in Alsace launches first freight train to port of Antwerp

The tri-modal terminal in the port of Lauterbourg, part of the Ports of Strasbourg, deployed the first freight train to the port of Antwerp. The initiative sees the involvement of big industry players including MSC, Fret SNCF and Wascosa.

MSC will provide the containers, Fret SNCF will take care of rail traction, while Wascosa will supply the wagons. The project also entails the participation of Bolloré Logistics and ACPMC Strasbourg. The hope is to now turn this first train into a regular service, as specified by Lauterbourg Rhine Terminal, the company managing the facility in Alsace. The Strasbourg-Antwerp axis is an important section of the TEN-T Rhine-Alpine Corridor, a vital transport path for Europe.

Port of Strasbourg and Lauterbourg terminal

The port of Strasbourg claims to be the second largest river port in France and the first freight hub in Alsace, moving over 7 million tonnnes every year. The terminal in Lauterbourg, 64 kilometres north of Strasbourg, was put into operation in 2021. It stretches over 6 hectares and can count on two tracks suitable for 400-metre-long trains. In 2024, the terminal will be equipped with a new gantry crane with a lifting capacity of 200 tonnes, which will boost services for heavy goods, and a Ro-Ro ramp.