{"id":199017,"date":"2025-04-11T18:43:42","date_gmt":"2025-04-11T08:43:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=61520"},"modified":"2025-04-11T18:43:42","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T08:43:42","slug":"haropa-port-and-sncf-reseau-team-up-to-promote-rail-freight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=199017","title":{"rendered":"Haropa Port and SNCF R\u00e9seau team up to promote rail freight"},"content":{"rendered":"

Haropa Port, the public authority managing the ports of Le Havre, Rouen and Paris, has teamed up with SNCF R\u00e9seau, France\u2019s rail infrastructure manager, to promote the modal shift in freight transport to rail. This new agreement supersedes a deal signed by the two parties back in 2009 but whose respective structures have changed considerably since then.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>\u201cAbout 6 per cent of the containers transiting through Haropa’s various ports currently use the train for post or pre-carriage, and the aim is to triple this market share within 10 years,\u201d Haropa Port\u2019s CEO Beno\u00eet Rochet told journalists at the recent Semaine du Transport et de la Logistique (SITL) exhibition and conference event in Paris.<\/p>\n

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The new protocol aims to revitalise their joint approach with a five-point plan to develop rail freight for container traffic:<\/p>\n

– the promotion of existing rail services, the sharing of information and best practice (capacity management, financial management of the rail network, safety, innovation);<\/p>\n

– adapting rail infrastructure to better meet the present and future needs of freight transport;<\/p>\n

– forward-looking monitoring of future developments and trends in rail freight development;<\/p>\n

– continuous improvement of service quality, to take full advantage of the capacity available on the national rail network by improving connections with maritime and inland terminals, and by sharing information on traffic stoppages to limit the economic impact;<\/p>\n

– reducing the environmental impact, by incorporating innovations in rolling stock, sharing best practice in biodiversity and optimising resources.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Container traffic a key growth driver<\/h2>\n

Rochet went on to highlight the momentum that has built up to support the development of rail freight in France citing the growing support of shippers and the commitment of the State while the extension of services by major shipping lines at Le Havre \u2013 France\u2019s biggest hub for container traffic \u2013 and investment in port and multimodal terminals are also positive factors.<\/p>\n

Also present at the SITL, Matthieu Chabanel, CEO of SNCF R\u00e9seau underlined the potential for rail freight growth at Le Havre. \u201cThere are several routes to the port via the river Seine and Rouen, but also via Gisors and Serqueux or via Amiens, to bypass the Greater Paris region,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Haropa Port is already pursuing an on-going strategy focused on the development of multi-modal services from its river terminals. It tasked MSC\u2019s logistics arm Medlog to operate a trimodal \u2013 river, rail and road \u2013 hub at Bruy\u00e8res-sur-Oise, around 40 kilometres from Paris, with container traffic identified as a key segment for growth. The new terminal handled its first containers at the end of last year.<\/p>\n