Geodis, an intermodal operator part of the French SNCF Group, launched a new rail connection from Barcelona, Spain, to Łódź, Poland. This will be one of the longest rail freight services in Europe, as the route stretches for over 2,200 kilometres.
The first convoy departed from Barcelona on 11 June and reached Łódź three days later. The convoy carried 44 containers, as Geodis specified. Once the trains reach Łódź, last-mile deliveries will be carried out by trucks. Although the rail route is 160 kilometres longer than the road journey, emissions will be reduced by 79 per cent and energy consumption by 57 per cent, according to Geodis.
Long rail freight connections in Europe
Over the past couple of years, an increasing number of rail freight services covering massive distances have been launched in Europe. For example, CFL launched a rail freight connection between Sète, France, and Poznan, Poland. Moreover, GTS established a connection between Bari, Italy, and Zeebrugge, Belgium. This last one was labelled as the longest intermodal rail service in Europe, but the new one launched by Geodis might beat it by a few kilometres.
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