Geodis: Multimodal transport chain Spain – Eastern Europe
Since February 2018 the globally operating transport and logistics company GEODIS has been running a new rail-road line for freight transport between Hendaye (French-Spanish border) and Metz (French-German border). Since this summer, five to six trains per week have been using this route. Combined with a local “door-to-door” service by truck, this alternative offering reduces congestion on European roads as well as the carbon footprint of freight on this corridor.
This new transport service is aimed at companies that export goods from Spain and Portugal to the north of France, Germany, Benelux countries and Eastern Europe, or that import from these countries, for sectors such as retail distribution, automotive and industrial. In the long term, a Paris stopover at GEODIS’ logistics platform in Bonneuil-sur-Marne is planned.
“This new multimodal service will take up to 11,500 trucks off the road each year, which will reduce the driver shortage and road congestion situation which we are currently facing,” says Olivier Royer, Executive Vice President Road Transport at GEODIS. “Furthermore we will see a real impact on the carbon footprint of freight between France and Spain by significantly reducing CO2 emissions per ton transported.”
The “door-to-door” service operated by GEODIS includes cross-docking in its own warehouses located at each end of the route, as well as freight transport from Metz to final delivery points in Northern Europe or the Iberian Peninsula, using its own fleet of vehicles.
“This multimodal solution makes it possible to achieve flows with a transit time similar to that of road haulage,” explains Olivier Royer. “In this way we can guarantee high volume transport at a reasonable cost, while eliminating certain factors such rising diesel prices, seasonal fluctuations in heavy goods vehicle transport or the cost of return trips that normally impact transport by truck.”
SNCF invested EUR 7 million in the modernization of the railway line and the trains to enable the transport of goods of all kinds. A freight tracking and management system has also been set up to allow customers to learn the location of their shipment in real time.
GEODIS also ensures its customers guaranteed service by offering alternative transport by road with the help of 3,800 vehicles from the GEODIS fleet or from its transport partners in the event of an incident.