Lineas has a new addition to its Green Xpress Network. The company will connect the North Sea Port and Ghent directly to the Intermodale Milano Segrate terminal in Northern Italy. The new train service will have an intermodal profile and will run with five weekly roundtrips.

Following the rising industrial demand, Lineas stepped in and increased its North-South axis connections. Ghent and the North Sea Port already function as a hub for the company with train services to various European destinations. As for the Milano Segrate terminal, it is not new to the rail freight company: it already operates trains to this destination from other North European ports like Antwerp and Zeebrugge in Belgium and Moerdijk in the Netherlands.

The trains running between Ghent and Milano Segrate will add more capacity to the route between Antwerp and Milano as trains will not need to divert through Ghent anymore. Moreover, with the service offering 22 wagons per trip, it will play a considerable role in decongesting the roads along the North-South axis.

Linking hubs

Ghent and the North Sea Port constitute one of Belgium’s most important logistics locations. Their primary focus lies in transporting and distributing raw materials, additives, semi-finished and finished products. The North Sea Port made the news lately after its inclusion in the North Sea-Baltic corridor and the announcement of a joint investment and development project backed by Belgium, Flanders and the Netherlands.

On the other hand, the Milano Segrate intermodal terminal is already part of Lineas’ network and receives multiple daily trains from European destinations. According to the rail freight company, its location is of strategic importance since it is in the centre of Northern Italy’s economic and industrial heartland. On top of that, the terminal offers more connections to Central and Southern Italy, also providing possibilities for eastward maritime links.

Also read:

• Lineas CEO: acquisition rail operator Rotterdam first step growth strategy
• Lineas adds port of Moerdijk to Green Xpress network
• More joint developments in the North Sea Port
• Why rail could do more at North Sea Port