‘The outlook for European rail freight and intermodal transport is challenging’

In an interview with Railfreight.com, Marc Vollet, EVP, European Road Network at SNCF-owned multimodal operator Geodis, highlights that the flat-to-low-growth economic climate in Europe has led to a weakening in freight demand, resulting in a decline in road haulage rates. This in turn is impacting the viability of existing rail freight/intermodal services and arguably making the continued development of the sector even tougher.

Geodis has been directly affected by the deteriorating market conditions having temporarily suspended its Łódź (Poland)-Barcelona rail service – launched in June 2024 – at the end of last year.

All-by-truck mindset

The French group is one of Europe’s leading providers of road haulage, a segment in which it earns a significant percentage of its global turnover. Nevertheless, Geodis is committed to an intermodal/multimodal approach to freight transport, Vollet emphasised.

“Road accounts for around 90 per cent of Geodis’ overland freight volumes but we have a strategy that focuses on offering more than one modal solution – as our weekly programme of around 120 trains operating…