P&O Ferrymasters and Transmec Group develop a new intermodal service between Italy and Romania
P&O Ferrymasters and Transmec Group, two of the leading logistics services providers in Romania have announced the expansion of their intermodal operations, launching a new regular rail service linking Italy and Romania.
The first is available starting June 1st, with two departures per week each way between Piacenza and Oradea leaving every Wednesday and Saturday. An additional weekly departure is planned in the near future.
This collaboration provides an important new freight transport option for companies serving the markets in the South and East of Europe. Some of the advantages provides by the service include a fixed terminal-to-terminal transit time of 40 hours, up to 80 weekly slots, an own-asset fleet of 300 Huckepack trailers and more than 2,500 45-foot containers, forward shipments/collections and an extensive office network with dedicated staff.
The launch of this new intermodal service follows the success of the intermodal operation between Zeebrugge (Belgium) and Romania.
“The first train departed Zeebrugge, Belgium on 26th September 2014 and arrived on 28th September 2014 in Romania. It achieves a transit from the United Kingdom of 5/6 days, with direct collection movement to UK Port (Hull, Middlesbrough, Tilbury) and then shipment via P&O Ferries direct to Zeebrugge, Belgium, to transit on the rail service from Zeebrugge to Romania. The transit time direct from Zeebrugge is 4 days. During the second half of 2015 the service was increased to 3 departures per week to / from Romania, meeting an increasing demand for the service and improving the service offering to the customer and market place” said Wim Blomme, Director Intermodal P&O Ferrymasters.
Coinciding with the new service, P&O Ferrymasters and Transmec have invested 50/50 in the Oradea facility to set up their own private terminal, which has seen the completion and use in May 2016 and are working on improving the infrastructure, by replacing the current Romanian railhead in Curtici, Future operations and marketing will be geared towards providing terminal services to third party rail operators as well as hosting the partnership’s own trains from Zeebrugge and Piacenza.
