in 2009 the French government announced plans to promote sustainable freight transport. Contributing towards this goal are ‘train motorways’ which can take longer trains at higher speeds.
This helps to achieve the goal of more freight miles for less carbon. The first 850 metre long train travelled last week between Perpignan, near the Spanish border, and Luxembourg with 48 unaccompanied semi-trailers in 24 rail wagons, representing an increase in capacity of more than 33%.
Previously, the length of freight trains crossing France did not exceed 750 metres.
With the longer train, Lorry Rail meets the objectives laid down in a French government plan to promote sustainable freight transport which was launched in 2009, SNCF Geodis said.