Belgian private operator Lineas was awarded a rail zone in the Ghent area of the North Sea Port. The concession will be valid from the beginning of 2026 and will initially be valid for two years.
With this new development, Lineas will provide rail traction for a group of five companies located on the left bank of the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal – PVS, Eastman Chemical, EOC Belgium nv, KRONOS Europe, and a logistics subsidiary of ArcelorMittal. North Sea Port (which includes Ghent, Terneuzen and Vlissingen) launched the tender last May, “at the request of the companies involved”.
15% modal share goal
The aim is to increase the rail freight modal share in the North Sea Port from 10 to 15%. To do this, the port also recently invested in rail upgrades along the right side of the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal. Here, near the Mercator dock, a new rail yard with six tracks of 750 metres in length was opened just three days ago.
Not only Ghent: Lineas in Antwerp
The contract won by Lineas in Ghent is not the first similar initiative undertaken by the company in Belgian ports. For example, a similar project, albeit on a larger scale, was implemented at the port of Antwerp-Bruges, the largest in Belgium and one of the top three ports in Europe. As of last July, Lineas is now in charge of six of the nine rail zones created there.
Moreover, the Belgian company launched a joint venture with FS Logistix, the Italian state-owned rail freight group. The company, named Modalink, will manage the Antwerp Main Hub and operate the feeder services between the different quays at the port. All these initiatives are part of Lineas’ attempt to get out of a struggling financial period by focussing on traction services rather than intermodal operations.