[200118.EN.BIZ] Rail Shuttle Box Link Between French and Switzerland To Launch in March

INTERMODAL operator Naviland Cargo and the French ports of Marseille Fos and Le Havre are to launch a rail shuttle container service to Switzerland in mid-March.

The service will run to the Swiss terminal of Chavorney three times a week after connecting rail shuttles from each port at the Dijon Gevrey facility in mid-France, American Shipper reported quoting the Port of Marseille Fos.

"Currently, the French ports handle only a fraction of Switzerland's box traffic, which has an estimated potential of 350,000 to 400,000 TEU per year," said the Port of Marseille Fos. 

"The new service is expected to capture a significant share of the market due to reduced transit times - notably for trades via the Mediterranean served by Marseille Fos and for Le Havre's traffic with North and South America."

The initiative is supported by French government efforts to extend the port hinterlands beyond national borders into the rest of Europe. Additional support for the project has also come from the regional councils of Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur and Normandy, which are considering financial support, the port said.

Source : HKSG.