Marseilles takes stake in inland French port

Marseilles takes stake in inland French port    French cargo port Marseilles Fos said Thursday it has taken a 10 percent stake in an inland river terminal between Chalon and Dijon.
   The port said the stake in Pagny Terminal will boost its hinterland links with northern Europe, as the multimodal hub lies at the northern end of the Rhone-Saone corridor. It's the first deal since the French port embarked on a policy to invest in key inland terminals to attract northern European cargo to the Mediterranean gateway.
   'Enhanced rail access to markets such as southern Germany and Switzerland made Pagny a priority target,' the port said. 'Transit times will be reduced by developing 'landbridge' solutions combining maritime and overland logistics.'
   The port is expecting to generate 40,000 TEUs of traffic per year.
   Pagny is managed by Manuport, a subsidiary of Euroports-Benelux Port Holdings, which took a 34 percent stake in the terminal last year and works alongside a string of local chambers of commerce.
   'A template for the hinterland policy dates from the 1999 alliance with Port Edouard Herriot in Lyons, where Marseilles Fos holds a 16 percent stake,' the port added.