{"id":582960,"date":"2026-10-21T19:59:39","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T09:59:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=75239"},"modified":"2026-10-21T19:59:39","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T09:59:39","slug":"french-shippers-take-greater-interest-in-modal-shift-as-diesel-costs-hit-road-haulage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=582960","title":{"rendered":"French shippers take greater interest in modal shift as diesel costs hit road haulage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Diesel fuel hikes and their impact on road haulage costs is triggering greater interest in the modal shift to rail among French shippers, participants heard at a recent conference in Paris organised by combined transport trade body, the GNTC. Still, an industry leader pointed out how expectation should be managed as demand and mindsets do not shift overnight.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>Speaking at the conference, Val\u00e9rie Cornet, head of overland freight transport at the French shippers association, the AUTF, highlighted a survey it had conducted on the decarbonisation of road transport. \u201cWhat clearly stands out from the survey is that shippers need all available tools to decarbonise such as biofuels, electric trucks and modal shift was cited by about 60% of respondents as a necessary measure which is very significant.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Don\u2019t expect demand overnight\u2019<\/h2>\n

\u201cSo the willingness is there, obviously heightened by the current diesel fuel crisis, but that doesn\u2019t mean solutions are immediately available. While a lot is going on presently to develop an attractive road-rail offering, we shouldn\u2019t expect demand to emerge overnight.\u201d Shippers\u2019 transport provision is heavily dependent on road haulage which is largely carried out over short and medium distances whereas rail freight can often entail journeys of 800 kilometres plus, Cornet noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cNext, you need to be located in proximity to a multimodal terminal. When this is the case, it (modal shift) can work very well and be competitive. But it\u2019s another matter when you\u2019re further away (from a terminal).\u201d Cornet also pointed to the need for reliable road haulage partners who have built a solid foundation in intermodal transport and are committed to it for the long term.<\/p>\n