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SNCF LOGISTICS AND DUNKERQUE-PORT SIGN PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
17th june 2016

Alain Picard, Managing Director of SNCF Logistics, and Stéphane Raison, CEO of Port of Dunkirk (France), today signed a partnership agreement for the next three years.

This non-exclusive agreement will intensify the contacts and collaboration between SNCF Logistics and Port of Dunkirk, in order to enlarge the distribution hinterland of the port of Dunkirk, and ensure its long-term reputation as a major centre of transport logistics.

It will help to meet the demands of an increasingly international clientele, by building a comprehensive logistics offer and developing new solutions for smoother and faster transit through the port.

Awareness-building programmes will also be run jointly by SNCF Logistics and Port of Dunkirk to promote the setup of "virtuous logistics chains" (multi-purpose wagons, e-commerce, palletised traffic, etc) and the growth of multimodal transport, which are at the heart of tomorrow's freight transport.

Finally, the partners will focus closely on developing the "logistics and transit" function of the port of Dunkirk, based on the experience of GEODIS. This collaboration should also contribute to the development of new logistics parks and culminate in Dunkirk's inclusion in the new schemes for rail transport between China and Europe (One Belt, One Road).

Stéphane Raison welcomed the signing of this agreement: "The industrial and port community of Dunkirk, which is France's leading rail hub, will benefit enormously from the experience acquired by SNCF LOGISTICS in multimodal transport, logistics and freight forwarding. This agreement is fully in line with Port of Dunkirk’s 2014-2018 Strategic Plan as an essential lever for developing the port's coverage and intermodality. It complements the NORD GATEWAY Group of partners, whose redeployment throughout the new Hauts-de-France Region is also under discussion with the historic partners (Ports de Lille and the DELTA3 logistics platform of Dourges)."

Alain Picard, General Director of SNCF Logistics, stressed the positive aspects of this agreement: "The ports, and particularly the port of Dunkirk, are essential links in the logistics chain. 11% of France's rail freight goes through Dunkirk. For SNCF Logistics, which is the leading transport company in France and the fourth-largest in Europe, this partnership with Port of Dunkirk will reinforce relations with the ports for all aspects of our activity and help to boost the volumes carried, to the benefit of both partners."

Patrice Vergriete, President of Dunkirk Urban Community, represented by Jean-Yves Frémont, Franck Dhersin, representing the Hauts-de-France Regional Council and Xavier-Yves Valère, Operations Manager at the Hauts-de-France General Secretarial for Regional Affairs, who were present at the signing ceremony, expressed their satisfaction with this major initiative for active collaboration in favour of modal switchover.

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