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9.12.2014 From January 2015, Samskip Multimodal will launch a dedicated intermodal rail service connecting Rotterdam's Rail Service Centre (RSC) facility and the Italian rail hub of Melzo, east of Milan. With five train departures a week, the new direct service represents a major enhancement within Samskip's fully integrated, pan-European shortsea and multimodal network. Full provision has been made for the carriage of the complete range of unitised equipment, with initial focus on pallet-wide high cube 45ft containers, curtain-siders, flatracks and reefers. The Rotterdam-Melzo operation builds on the success of longstanding dedicated block train services offered through the Samskip Van Dieren Multimodal brand, connecting Sweden and the continent. Via the Rotterdam Shortsea Terminal, regular scheduled Samskip shortsea services connect for instance with the UK/Ireland, Scandinavia, the Baltic States, Russia and Iceland. Meanwhile, transit times between the RSC and Melzo will be achieved in under 30 hours, with rail traction provided through an agreement between Samskip and Deutsche Bahn. From Melzo, Samskip will offer onward connections to/from rail terminals in Padova, Frosinone and Bari. “Customers in this important trade corridor are very demanding when it comes to both the reliability and sustainability of the services they use,” says David Besseling, Samskip Manager multimodal services - Italy trade. ”One selling point of this new service is that we have complete control over the train schedule, capacity and equipment, connecting intermodal and shortsea services to fit our customers' needs.” Expectations are high that uptake of the new service will be strong, with Samskip Multimodal indicating that it envisages a service extension to six train departures per week by the middle of next year. Samskip press release |
