Le Havre, France’s biggest container port, posted a record increase in containerised rail traffic last year. Trains to and from its hinterland transported 145,000 TEUs, up’18 per cent on 2024, according to Haropa Port, the public authority managing the ports of Le Havre, Rouen and Paris.
Growth was mainly attributed to the launch of a new service to Tours and the strengthening of connections to Paris-Valenton, Vierzon and Clermont Ferrand. Haropa Port handled a record number of containers last year, totalling more than 3.2 million TEU, an increase of 4% compared to 2024. The year was marked by the modal share of river and rail transport reaching 20%, in line with the objectives set out in Haropa Port’s strategic plan.
“The modal shift on the Seine corridor continues to gain momentum, driven by the development of river and rail transport. This trajectory, developed in collaboration with all our partners, confirms the relevance of our strategy and our ambition to offer increasingly sustainable transport solutions,” underlined Antoine Berbain, deputy managing director, Haropa Port
Five-year plan for rail
Last year, Haropa Port and SNCF Réseau, France’s rail infrastructure manager, signed a five-point plan to develop rail freight for container traffic. It includes provision for the promotion of existing rail services, the sharing of information and best practice (capacity management, financial management of the rail network, safety, innovation) and the improvement of service quality.
Marseille-Lyon freight corridor growth
At Marseille, France’s second-ranking ‘box’ port, containers transported by barge and train rose by 10%, compared to 2024, driven by an increase in round trip shuttle services between the port’s Fos container terminal and Lyon’s inland port, as well as an improvement in operational performance.
Frequencies rose on the Fos–Lyon service operated by Delta Rail, part of the Modalis Group and on Naviland Cargo’s rail service between Fos and Vénissieux, in the suburbs of Lyon. The Mediterranean port handled 1.45 million TEU last year, a figure unchanged on 2024. Rail’s modal share was 16%. In May last year, French ocean shipping and logistics giant CMA CGM increased its weekly rail services between Marseille and Lyon to five departures in each direction. CMA CGM is investing significantly at Lyon Port.