GEODIS has expanded its rail freight service with another fixed schedule between Poland and Spain.
As of 11th June, the freight trains between Lodz, Poland and Barcelona, Spain were operational, marking the first direct rail link between the two countries.
In the first trip, 44 containers or swap bodies each capable of carrying 26 tonnes of payload left the freight terminal at Lodz and reached Barcelona in just three days. From there, the ‘last-mile’ distribution by road will take place.
The train returns to Poland later that same day with goods imported from Spain. The trains that follow have a total capacity of 44 units and replace the equivalent amount of trucks.
GEODIS reports that transporting goods by rail emits 5 times less CO2e compared to the same distance covered by road, and 12 times less than equivalent air transport. The rail link can deliver up to 1,000 tonnes of goods.
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Although the rail route between Lodz to Barcelona is longer by about 160 kilometres than the road trip, it reduces CO2e emission by up to 79%. Energy consumption is also reduced by around 57%.
The schedule for the first phase of this project is one train every week leaving Lodz on Tuesdays. In the opposite direction, the train will leave Barcelona on Fridays.
This new multimodal train is an addition to GEODIS’ multimodal route network, which operates over 120 trains per week in Europe.
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Marc Vollet, Chief Operating Officer at GEODIS European Road Network, said: “The launch the new Lodz-Barcelona rail connection offers customers a number of benefits. It will enable punctual transport of shipments while reducing CO2 emissions considerably.”
We have high ambitions for the new line. We plan to increase its frequency to two trains a week in the near term.