Modal Group has introduced a new multi-client rail connection between Dunkirk and Lyon, complete with refrigerated transport options
France-based Modal Group has announced the launch of a new rail connection between Dunkirk and Lyon.
The new service, which includes refrigerated options, links two major industrial and logistics areas and offers carriers an alternative to all-road transport.
Modal Group said the service will begin with three return trips each week, with plans to gradually increase the frequency to five weekly return trips.
In addition, the company said it is planning to extend the corridor to Piacenza in Italy from January 2027.
The new rail connection is operated by Delta Rail and hauled by Taix, two of Modal Group’s subsidiaries.
”Designed as a multi-client service, this new line is open to the various stakeholders in the transport chain (road hauliers, freight forwarders, logistics specialists and industrial companies) wishing to transport their cargo between the north of France and the region,” the group stated.
”Any types of goods can be transported: chemicals, liquids or gases, general cargo, refrigeration or temperature-controlled products, etc.”
”The service can accommodate various types of transport units, including P400 trailers, containers and 45-foot swap bodies, with a capacity of approximately 40 ITUs per train,” it said.
Modal Group said the new connection is the “first step” in the development of rail links between northern and southern Europe, helping transport goods to and from the Benelux, the UK and Ireland, and connecting them to the south via rail flows.
From January 2027, Modal Group said it also plans to extend this corridor to Piacenza, south of Milan, via Lyon, opening up a new, continuous rail connection between Dunkirk, the Lyon region and northern Italy.
By developing the new connection, Modal Group said it is pursuing its ambition to “massively decarbonise” freight transport, thereby meeting the growing demand from manufacturers and shippers for a modal shift.
“The initial feedback on this connection is very encouraging,” confirmed Bernard Meï, Modal Group chairman
”With this new line, we are laying the cornerstone to gradually build a network connected to the major European corridors and offer even more possibilities to our clients.”
