Freight train

Freight trains are a cost-effective and environmentally friendly means of transport. It emits significantly less CO2 than road or air transport.

For example, for the transport of a 21-tonne unit (semi-trailer or container) from Luxembourg to Le Boulou (Spanish border), the CO2 emissions would be:

  • 256 kg per train or 63.480k g for 1 full train (40 units) ;
  • 1.843 kg by road ;
  • ± 11.000 kg per aircraft.

Rail freight companies such as CFL multimodal offer integrated door-to-door services.

CFL cargo handles goods to and from:

  • Luxembourg: Bettembourg;
  • Germany: Rostock & Kiel - with continuation to Scandinavia by sea; Passau - with continuation to Halkali (Turkey);
  • Belgium: Antwerp & Zeebrugge - with onward connections to the UK and Scandinavia by sea;
  • France: Nancy, Paris, Le Boulou, Lyon, Sète;
  • Italy: Trieste - with continuation to Turkey by sea;
  • Spain: Le Boulou - on the border between France and Spain;
  • Poland: Poznan.

The technical characteristics of the Bettembourg-Dudelange intermodal terminal:

  • 3 gantry cranes;
  • 4 combined railway lines, each 700 m long;
  • 2 rail motorway platforms, each 700 m long.

Rail transport is particularly well suited to outsize transportation. In fact, rail freight can more easily meet the special needs of exceptional transport due to fewer restrictions and higher speeds.

Extra-long products transported by rail include:

  • wind turbine blades (up to 49 m);
  • ultra-long steel beams (up to 60 m);
  • rails (up to 108 m).

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