Lineas and ECS launch new rail link between Belgium and Germany

Lineas, one of the largest private rail operators in Europe, has launched a new rail freight route. In cooperation with ECS, it will be carrying containers from Belgian Zeebrugge to Crailsheim in Germany three times per week.

“Starting in September, the first freight trains will travel over the new rail connection between Zeebrugge and Crailsheim, Germany. This route connects seamlessly with the existing rail and shortsea connections to, among others, the United Kingdom and Ireland”, Lineas says in a press release.

Trains will carry 42 containers back and forth between the route’s end points three times per week. In total, Lineas says, 11,000 containers will be carried annually and an equal amount of trucks will be taken off the road.

New loading method

“The new rail link uses a new loading and unloading method in which the full set of wagons to be unloaded is disconnected, and a set of wagons, that is already filled, is picked up”, Lineas adds. “This method minimises loading time and allows the 751-kilometer route to be completed within 24 hours, with minimal time loss and high punctuality compared with congestion-prone track transport.”

Executive chairman of Lineas, Bernard Gustin, comments: “This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to providing sustainable transportation solutions that not only improve supply chain efficiency, but also help reduce CO2 emissions. Together with ECS, we are taking an important step towards a greener future.”