Ferry company launches rail motorway

FRANCE: Brittany Ferries has launched its ‘rail motorway’ service carrying unaccompanied lorry trailers 970 km between the port of Cherbourg and the European Freight Centre at Bayonne-Mouguerre near the Spanish border.

The ferry company has acquired 47 Modalohr double-pocket wagons at a cost of €17m, initially running in two rakes of 18 wagons but with plans to increase to 22 giving capacity for over 25 000 lorries a year.

SNCF subsidiary Captrain France has the haulage contract. The first commercial run was on May 20, and trains are running three times a weekly, with plans to move to daily as traffic builds up. Departures are around 19.00 in each direction, with arrival in Cherbourg just after 11.00 and Bayonne at midday. Two of the main customers will be Austrian logistics company LKW Walter and Spanish medical supplies company Istausi, but the service is open to all logistics companies and users of all ferry companies.

At Cherbourg there are ferry connections to Poole and Portsmouth in the UK and Rosslare in Ireland. With the rail service up and running, Brittany Ferries hopes to realise a major economy by withdrawing one of its freight ferries.

The project was announced in 2020, but paused as a result of the coronavirus pandemic which led to a reduction in ferry services for nearly two years.

Over €80m has been invested in the project and the wagons. This includes €17m for the Cherbourg terminal, the majority coming from Ports de Normandie and Cherbourg Port Authority, including €3·4m to revive the branch line to the port with its eight level crossings. The national government provided €19m for a new terminal at Mouguerre.

Gauge enhancement has been carried out by SNCF Réseau between Caen and Tours at a cost of €3m. A further €30m is being spent enlarging four tunnels to B+ loading gauge on the Poitiers – Bordeaux route. Until this is complete, the train is diesel-hauled throughout, running between Poitiers and Bordeaux via Niort and Saintes.