Froid Combi, a combined transport operator specialising in the transport of fresh and frozen produce between southern and northern France, is eyeing traffic growth of more than 45 per cent in 2025. In an interview with Railfreight.com, president and CEO, Rémy Crochet, said that last year the company had handled almost 62,000 45-foot intermodal transport units (ITUs) compared to just over 53,000 ITU in 2023. The target for the current year is 90,000 ITU.
Froid Combi operates a total of three, daily round-trip services (Monday to Friday) between Avignon and Dourges and Avignon and Paris/Valenton. Crochet, who also heads trade body, the GNTC, which represents France-based combined transport operators, revealed that the company is planning to add a fourth daily frequency from July this year but did not elaborate further.
Froid Combi’s wagon fleet renewal
The projected growth in Froid Combi’s traffic in 2025 is in response to ncreasing market demand which the company is able to accommodate due to a significantly-expanded wagon fleet. Last year it completed the delivery of a total 96 ‘double’ wagons – each with the capacity to transport two 45-foot ITUs – on long-term lease from French intermodal logistics solutions provider Modalis and offering productivity gains of 7-8% compared to previous wagon models.
Each train is composed of 19 double wagons and is capable of operating at 140 km/hour – Froid Combi being the only company in France to offer such speeds, Crochet confirmed. Froid Combi, which is jointly-owned by SNCF and two French road haulage and logistics groups, ID Logistics and STEF, expects to complete the full renewal of its fleet over the next two years with some 200 double wagons on lease.