The port of Boulogne Calais, in northeastern France, reinstated rail freight services for the transport of finished vehicles manufactured by Stellantis after 11 years. Once they reach the port, most of the cargo will be transferred onto ships to reach the English port of Sheerness, at the mouth of the River Thames.
“No, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke!”, the port reassured on a LinkedIn post. Other than Stellantis, the initiative sees the participation of logistics company Groupe Charles Andre and rail operator VIIA, part of the SNCF Group. Between now and the end of the year, three to four trains will reach the port every week, for a total of over 36,000 vehicles.
Stellantis’ commitment to rail
This initiative at the port of Boulogne Calais is part of a larger Stellantis project to increase rail transport. For example, two years ago the company re-implemented a rail connection to its factory in Hordain, 160 kilometres from Calais, after a 13-year hiatus. However, the port did not provide specific information about whether the trains will be coming from there or other plants connected to the railways such as Poissy, near Paris.