A moving international rail freight motorway comes a step nearer this summer.
Europorte ran a trial lorry trailer service from Antwerp to Barking via the Channel Tunnel and High Speed One on May 21-22. The piggyback train consisted of a pair of Ewals Cargo Care megatrailers, conveying Vauxhall car parts, mounted on a Sdggmiss two-section pocket wagon.
Europorte Channel, Eurotunnel’s railfreight subsidiary, plans to start regular services between Antwerp and Barking later this year. Ewals also confirmed it would like to switch to rail as an alternative to current ferry operations.
The new service carries complete trailers, including wheels, flatbeds and container loads. Starting its journey at the Combinant terminal in Antwerp, the train travelled to Calais via Lille. At Fréthun a Europorte Channel Class 92 loco took over for the run to Barking.
A pair of class 31 diesels provided power for the final mile between the HS1 exchange sidings and the John G Russell intermodal terminal.
