A new sustainable freight train service between Zeebrugge (Belgium) and Crailsheim (Stuttgart region) in Germany has been announced by Lineas and ECS. Thanks to this cooperation, three trains will run each week, taking more than 11,000 lorries off the road each year. This represents a saving of 2,600 tonnes of CO2. With this new route, ECS is one step closer to its goal of 100 million kilometers per year by rail by 2030.
From September, the first freight trains will use the new Zeebrugge-Crailsheim rail link. The rail link is seamlessly integrated with existing rail and short sea shipping connections to the UK and Ireland, among others. It further strengthens the logistics network of intermodal transport specialist ECS. Lineas, Europe's largest private rail freight operator, has co-operated with ECS to launch the new service
The new service will carry 42 containers from Zeebrugge to Crailsheim and back, three times per week. This will not only reduce traffic but also significantly cut CO2 emissions by taking more than 11,000 containers and the same number of trucks off the road each year. The estimated savings amount to up to 2,600 tons of CO2 per year.
The new rail link will use a new method of loading and unloading. The full set of wagons to be unloaded will be separated and a set of wagons that are already full will be picked up. This method minimizes loading time and allows the 751-kilometre route to be completed within 24 hours, with minimal time loss and high punctuality in comparison with congestion-prone rail transport.
"This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to providing sustainable transportation solutions that not only improve supply chain efficiency, but also help reduce CO2 emissions. Together with ECS, we are taking an important step towards a greener future,“ commented Bernard Gustin, Executive Chairman of Lineas.
