Lorry Rail, VIIA, and CFL Intermodal launched a coordinated intermodal service expansion on 7 April 2026 centered on the Lyon hub. The partnership aligns three distinct routes to improve transit between Sète, Lyon, Bettembourg, and Calais. The services accommodate craneable and non-craneable semi-trailers as well as standard containers, utilizing specialized horizontal loading technology for non-craneable units.
The expanded network provides six weekly round trips between Sète and Bettembourg operated by Lorry Rail. Simultaneously, CFL Intermodal provides six weekly round trips connecting Lyon with the Bettembourg-Dudelange terminal. VIIA operates a third leg consisting of six weekly round trips between Sète and Calais, incorporating a scheduled stop at the Lyon PEH hub to facilitate cargo consolidation.
This synchronization targets the Mediterranean-North Sea/Baltic corridor, allowing freight from Turkish maritime routes arriving in Sète to reach Northern European markets via Luxembourg or the Port of Calais. The use of the Lyon hub enables the partners to combine volumes and increase frequency on the primary North-South axis. This expansion follows the Port of Lyon’s objective to double its rail freight traffic throughout 2026.
