March 29 - Ports de Paris, the public port of Paris authority, has selected Colas Rail, in partnership with Europorte, a Eurotunnel subsidiary, initially to prepare documents necessary to obtain safety certification and subsequently to take over the management, operation and maintenance of the railway infrastructure in its tri-modal ports for a period of 4 years maximum. The two companies will combine their engineering and railway safety expertise in the ports of Gennevilliers, Bonneuil-sur-Marne and Limay.
Ports de Paris, which has almost 60 km of railway track, is France’s top inland port and the second largest in Europe.
Europorte will prepare the ports’ Safety and Operating Regulations Reference Document (RSE). Colas Rail and Europorte will, together, be responsible for implementing the RSE and for the preventive and corrective maintenance of the railway infrastructure on the sites throughout the contract.
A dedicated team will be assigned to Ports de Paris. The partnership will enable it to access real-time information on the use of its tracks and the condition of its infrastructure.
By making this choice, Ports de Paris recognises the expertise Colas Rail and Europorte have in railway maintenance and operation. Rail transport remains a key component in the ports’ commercial competitiveness.
Europorte has previously won similar contracts at the Port of Dunkirk, the Grand Port Maritime at Nantes Saint-Nazaire and the Grands Ports Maritimes at Le Havre and Rouen where Colas Rail is also involved as a partner. Eurotunnel has also prepared the railway safety document for the Grand Port Maritime at Bordeaux.
The increasing importance of environmental issues, particularly within the framework of the “Grenelle” Environment Forum, in France, favours the development of rail as the transport mode for the future.
About Europorte
The first French private operator to obtain a licence, in 2004, allowing it to develop rail services throughout the European Union, Europorte is a 100%-owned subsidiary of the Eurotunnel Group specialising in rail freight and operating on the French and British networks.
Europorte has over 1,000 employees and provides customised solutions to industrial companies, offering a complete package covering all freight sectors: from national and international haulage for logistics operators, to local freight service management on secondary lines and local rail service operations.
More information on www.europorte.com
About Colas Rail
Colas Rail specialises in providing total solutions in all aspects of railway infrastructure including tramways, metros, conventional and high-speed lines.
A subsidiary of the Colas group, Colas Rail employs more than 3,500 staff at its 27 subsidiaries and branches in France and at its permanent establishments in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Romania, Morocco, Egypt, Venezuela and Malaysia.
Through its licence as a rail freight operator and its fleet of locomotives and wagons, Colas Rail is able to manage the transportation of aggregates for the Colas group and also to meet the needs of all the existing freight markets in France and the United Kingdom.
