Intermodal Rail Link Boosts Spain to France Freight Corridor
The logistics landscape gains a new dimension as Maersk unveils an intermodal transport service connecting Spain and France. This approach to cargo movement links different modes of transit, aligning with a broader shift toward greener and more efficient supply chains. The announcement signals a measurable step forward for the transport sector, leveraging port connectivity to reduce reliance on road transport.
Starting in early November, four rail services will operate between the port of Barcelona and southern France under Captrain’s management. Each week will feature three direct connections that move a sea container from Barcelona toward Toulouse and Lyon. These services mark the first rail links between Spain and France without manual intervention at the border. Captrain, which has long served the Spain-Portugal corridor for 15 years, now extends its seamless rail capabilities to Spain and France alike.
Powering Captrain’s Stadler Euro6000 locomotives are 750-meter-long trains designed to streamline operations. The new setup minimizes on-site maneuvering and reduces overall operating costs by removing the need for on-train driver changes or other railway vehicle interventions at the destination. The routes cross the border at Le Perthus on the international line. Maersk notes that this solution connects cargo through Toulouse to Bordeaux via Naviland’s network. In a forward-looking plan, the group also aims to serve customers headed to Tarragona and Zaragoza in due course.
Transit Times
Maersk asserts that the new service will seamlessly link to Bordeaux via Toulouse. Based on Maersk’s calculations, the proposal could shorten transit times for import and export cargo in the Toulouse, Bordeaux, and Lyon regions by up to 12 days, with an average improvement around seven days compared with traditional routes through French or Northern European ports.
The creation of this rail service, operated through APM Spanish Railways, a Maersk subsidiary, enables Barcelona port to attract new sea-container flows that had previously moved through other European hubs. Analyses conducted by Maersk specialists indicate that shorter transport distances and the use of electric locomotives yield clear environmental benefits. The special trains can also be booked for intercontinental freight movements between Spain and France. Emilio de la Cruz, Maersk’s managing director for Southwest Europe, emphasizes that the new service strengthens supply chains for industries in Catalonia and the south of France.
With interoperable locomotives enabling private trains to avoid locomotive and wheelset changes, freight operations at the Spain–France border are expected to run more smoothly than ever before.
Maersk remains an integrated logistics partner focused on connecting and simplifying customers’ supply chains. As a global leader in shipping services, the company operates in more than 130 countries and employs over 110,000 people worldwide. Maersk has set a bold objective to reach net-zero emissions across its business by 2040 through a combination of new technologies, modern ships, and green fuels.