French ports will be linked to Switzerland via rail

The French ports of Marseille Fos and Le Havre will be linked to Switzerland by rail in a project that aims to further connect the port hinterlands into the rest of Europe.    Naviland Cargo and the French ports of Marseille Fos and Le Havre are launching a rail shuttle container service to Switzerland in mid-March, the two French ports announced.
   The service will run to the Swiss terminal of Chavorney three times a week after connecting rail shuttles from each port at the Dijon Gevrey facility in mid-France, the Port of Marseille Fos said.
   “Currently, the French ports handle only a fraction of Switzerland’s box traffic, which has an estimated potential of 350,000 to 400,000 TEUs per year,” said the Port of Marseille Fos. “The new service is expected to capture a significant share of the market due to reduced transit times – notably for trades via the Mediterranean served by Marseille Fos and for Le Havre’s traffic with North and South America.”
   The initiative is supported by French government efforts to extend the port hinterlands beyond national borders into the rest of Europe. Additional support for the project has also come from the regional councils of Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur and Normandy, which are considering financial support, the port said.