Feature, Freight News, Logistics, Rail, Sea

Ekol upgrades Zeebrugge rail link

[ March 21, 2018   //   Chris ]

Turkish-owned logistics operator Ekol has introduced a new rail service from Sete in southern France to Zeebrugge, Belgium, offering onward connections to the UK and Sweden. At the same time it has increased its ro ro sailings, using its own vessels, between Izmir in Turkey and Sete to two per week together with connecting rail services from the southern French port of Sete to Paris.

It forms part of the operator’s strategy to develop Sete into a regional hub, offering links to and from  South Europe, Turkey, the Middle East and Maghreb.

The new rail service takes almost 22 hours to cover the 1,200km between Sete and Zeebrugge, departing the French terminal on Wednesdays and Sundays at 18:30 and arriving in Zeebrugge on Thursdays and Mondays at 16:00. From Zeebrugge the train leaves on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:30 and arrives on Wednesdays and Saturdays at  07:50.

It replaces the service previously operated  between Trieste and Zeebrugge and has more capacity.

Both the Paris and Zeebrugge train services hace been developed in collaboration with the French railways’ logistics arm, VIIA.

Ekol Logistics has recently introduced a new vessel, the Fadiq with a for the sea leg of the route. It has a capacity of 280 trailers or 340 double stack containers.

Frequent ferry shuttle services link Izmir with Istanbul.

There are also plans to introduce a twice weekly shipping service between Sete and Lavrio, near Athens in Greece.

Tags: Ekol