The €25 million project, jointly developed by the Modalis Group and Dunkerque-Port, is intended to provide hauliers with a new intermodal option for long-distance European transport flows.
The terminal occupies 9.6 hectares along the Loon-Plage railway line, situated close to the port’s Ro-Ro terminals serving Great Britain and Ireland. The location is designed to integrate with existing short-sea routes and support operators moving between the UK, France and mainland Europe.
Once operational, the terminal will be open to all rail companies and able to receive four 750-metre freight trains simultaneously. Each train can carry the equivalent of 130–150 semi-trailers, supported by an on-site storage area with capacity for over 600 swap bodies or trailers.
Capacity to transfer 50,000 units per year off the road
The project partners aim to shift up to 50,000 intermodal transport units (ITUs) annually from road to rail. This is intended to ease road congestion in and around Dunkirk while supporting national and EU objectives to expand the use of rail for long-distance freight.
According to the developers, this modal shift corresponds to a reduction of around 70,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year.
The first scheduled route will connect Dunkirk and Piacenza (Italy), running via Lyon and operated by Delta Rail, a Modalis subsidiary. The corridor will link industrial regions in northern and southern Europe and offer continuity for cross-Channel shipments through existing maritime services between Dunkirk–Dover and Dunkirk–Rosslare.
Low-emission handling equipment and on-site maintenance hub
The terminal will be equipped with HVO-powered handling vehicles, which reduce emissions during loading operations, and electric locomotives for shunting.
In addition, a shared maintenance facility will be available for wagons, swap bodies and semi-trailers. This aims to reduce the need for empty repositioning for repairs and expand the range of services available within the port area.
Around 15 direct jobs will be created in the initial phase, including roles in combined transport operations and railway maintenance.
The development aligns with broader French and EU strategies to increase rail’s share in long-distance freight and strengthen multimodal infrastructure. The Dunkirk terminal is expected to expand capacity in the Hauts-de-France region and offer hauliers an additional rail link integrated into major European transport networks.
