Since the start of Color Lines Cargo shuttle, “Color carrier,” that operates between Oslo and Kiel. Color Line has worked to establish an intermodal solution for shipment of trailers and containers. On October 10th, the first dedicated Color Line train departs from Verona towards Kiel.
In January, Color Line started a separate freight line between Norway and Germany. Since then, the company has been working on an intermodal solution for shipping semi-trailers and containers by train further down the Continent. Color Line now operates with a total of 80 departures a month on this line that binds Norway to the Continent.
Choosing environmentally friendly solutions is becoming increasingly crucial for both our customers and us. The requirements imposed on us, as a carrier, are to provide services that reduce the carbon footprint of each consignment. We, therefore, invest considerable resources in the development of environmentally friendly transport solutions.
Kjell-Arne Eloranta, Managing Director in FREJA Transport & Logistics AS
Intermodal solution for shipping semi-trailers and containers by train
Color Line, in collaboration with German transport operator Kombiverkehr, has established a dedicated train route between Verona in Italy and Kiel. The first departure is on Thursday, October 10th at 9 pm from Verona, with arrival in Oslo on Sunday 13th at 4 pm. On the opposite route, there will be a departure from the port in Oslo on Friday at 7 pm with arrival in Verona early Tuesday morning.
Color Line’s intermodal network can also offer services to Nuremberg, Cologne, Duisburg, Ludwigshafen, Munich, and Basel with a transit time around 45 hours from Oslo.
The commitment to a Color Line Cargo train on the route between Kiel and Verona, in collaboration with, among others, FREJA, is a milestone in our strategy to make Europe more accessible to our customers.
Executive Vice President in Color Line Cargo, Terje Røli
Competitive and environmentally friendly
Color Line’s CEO, Trond Kleivdal, is convinced that the combination of ships and trains has come to stay, and believes it offers opportunities for significant growth.
In addition to the environmental aspect, driver shortages in Europe will not affect freight rates. Color Line has a pool of talented partners in Norway and Italy who haul the goods to and from the arrival/departure terminal. Higher weight limits mean that 29 tonnes per trailer can be used on trains, while on the road, we operate with a limit of 24.5 tonnes per trailer, which is the maximum limit in large parts of Europe. In addition, there are strict rules for Sunday driving as well as other regulations for when heavy transport can be on the road.
The price is estimated to be 40 percent lower compared to road transport, while reducing the carbon footprint by 50 percent, according to Color Line.