Port of Barcelona has new rail links with three French destinations
Toulouse, Bordeaux and Lyon in France will all be connected with the port of Barcelona in Spain via rail starting in early November. The new service initiated by Maersk will be an alternative to sea shipping links with French Mediterranean ports and Northern European ports. The aim is to reduce transit time between these destinations by twelve days.
The route between Barcelona and Toulouse will offer three weekly roundtrips, while the one Between Barcelona and Lyon will offer one. Bordeaux will not have a direct connection but will be served via Toulouse. Maersk explained that extending the service’s Spanish leg to Zaragoza and Tarragona. The operator of the new service will be the Maersk-owned APM Spain Railways in collaboration with Captrain and Naviland Cargo.
One of the most important characteristics of this rail link will be its border crossing efficiency. The interoperable train locomotives the partners will use will be key because they will save significant time on the Spanish-French border, considering that no change in locomotives or wheelsets is required.
A streak of services in Europe
The links between Barcelona and France are not the only ones initiated by Maersk recently. The company launched another rail link in Italy where inland and port connections are highlighted again. In this case, the connection is between the port of Vado Ligure and the Verona Porta Nuova terminal, both in Northern Italy.
Vado Ligure is one of the Mediterranean’s most significant fresh produce cargo gateways, with a large reefer terminal. Apart from the Verona Porta Nuova terminal, the port is already connected with other regional destinations, including Milan, Padua, Rubiera and Piacenza. In total, it is served by 12-14 weekly trains. The new service will be managed by Maersk Italia and operated by Logtainer Connect.
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