The number of container rail shuttle to and from the Kehl and Strasbourg region has increased from five to seven.
MMR Intermodal Services recently went from two to three roundtrips to Strasbourg, while C3C has also extended its Alsace Rotterdam Express with a regular service to the city.
The new train from C3C represents a partnership with the Danser Group, Haeger & Schmidt Logistics, and Ultra-Brag, which started in 2015 and has already been used on three weekly services to Kehl from Germany.
“Additional terminal capacity became available at Strasbourg-Nord, which explains this extension,” said Michael Bot, Sales & Marketing Manager at Danser Group. “As a result, we add 90 TEU import and 90 TEU export to our volume every week. Whether it’s Kehl or Strasbourg makes no difference to our clients in this industrial border area.”
Maik Bastian, General Manager of the Intermodal Division at Haeger & Schmidt Logistics, added “We serve the Alsace region in France and Baden-Württemberg in Germany, but we also provide additional transport to Switzerland by inland shipping,”
“If it was not for capacity restrictions in Rotterdam and the last-mile handling in France and Germany, we would certainly have increased the number of rail shuttles further.”
MMR Intermodal Services share this view as Mattijs Nollen, Managing Director at MMR Intermodal Services, commented “The volumes are increasing rapidly. Together we went from zero to seven rail services per week in just a few years. The cargo consists of all sorts of goods, from electronics to furniture and from car parts to light fittings – and the export cargo includes a lot of wine, of course”
With its new service, MMR Intermodal Services now adds 103 TEU to its capacity to and fro. “I don’t rule out a fourth shuttle, but with three the equipment is used to optimum efficiency,” Nollen continues.
“In 2021, rail traffic between Rotterdam and Strasbourg doubled,” said Maria Cherkasova, Head of Multimodal Development at the Port de Strasbourg.
“The new terminal offers interesting opportunities for further growth, also where transport sustainability is concerned. Transport by rail is efficient and environmentally friendly. We and the municipal of Strasbourg give it our full support. After all, our port is a short distance from the Strasbourg city centre.”