Lineas launches new intermodal link between Belgium and Italy
Belgian rail freight operator Lineas has commenced a new container train towards Italy. It links the Interface Terminal of the North Sea Port and the Pesanti terminal in Piadena. The intermodal link is dedicated to various types of containerised freight.
Taking into account the growing demand for more rail freight connections between Benelux and Italy, Lineas has launched the new container train from the Interface Terminal at Kluizendok in Ghent’s area of the North Sea Port to the Pesanti terminal at Piadena in Italy. It is the company’s second intermodal link after the Ghent-Segrate freight train, inaugurated in 2021. The Ghent-Piadena service is running daily, it is dedicated to moving chemicals, steel, tiles, household goods, bulk goods and powders in dry, cold or tank containers.
“We continue to build a strong multimodal dimension for North Sea Port with an increasingly important role for low-emissions rail freight. The local Lineas team is an effective service partner for local and international customers with an impressive track record. Through this partnership, we continue to add value to North Sea Port as a key strategic economic hub in Europe,” said Daan Schalck, CEO of North Sea Port.
Basis for modal shift
The intermodal terminal in Piadena is owned by Trasporti Pesanti, an Italian logistics provider. Due to its convenient geographic location, in the middle of the Milan – Verona – Bologna triangle, one of Italy’s most important industrial regions, the facility offers reliable last-mile delivery in the mentioned area. Together with the Ghent-Segrate intermodal link, the Ghent-Piadena train creates a strong basis for shifting containers from road to rail. Around 10,000 boxes were moved by rail from Ghent to the Segrate terminal near Milan in 2021.
“Customers today are really looking to decarbonise their supply chains with smart and green rail transportation, and that is exactly what we want to help them do. On top of the 70 trains we already operate between Belgium and Italy, we are now creating additional capacity to enable a further 15,000 containers to be switched to rail,” added Lars Redeligx, Chief Commercial Officer at Lineas.