GEODIS has launched a new rail freight service connecting Vicenza in northern Italy with Noisy-le-Sec near Paris, expanding its European intermodal network and offering businesses in Italy’s Veneto region an alternative to road transport.
The first train departed on 19 October 2026. The service is operated by Captrain and Hexafret, both part of Rail Logistics Europe, which belongs to the SNCF Group alongside GEODIS.
The connection initially operates one departure per week in each direction, with GEODIS planning to increase the frequency to two departures per week in each direction from January 2027. It is designed to transport various types of freight, including packaged liquid and powder goods.
The new route extends GEODIS’ existing rail freight operations in northern Italy, which already serve Lombardy, Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna through its Novara connection.
According to GEODIS, the rail service can reduce CO₂ emissions per shipment by an average of 80% compared with diesel-powered road transport. The estimate, based on EcoTransIT World calculations, includes road transport at both ends of the rail journey. Each transport unit can carry up to 28 tonnes of cargo, compared with approximately 25 tonnes typically transported by road.
GEODIS aims to transport an annual volume of 6,500 swap bodies through the service by 2027. The company also expects the rail connection to provide greater cost stability for businesses amid fluctuations in fuel prices.
“With the Vicenza-Paris connection, we are expanding our intermodal offer and introducing a new railway axis to serve companies in the North East of Italy,” said Marc Vollet, EVP European Road Network, GEODIS.
The launch strengthens freight connectivity between France and Italy, two major European trading partners. Bilateral trade in goods and services reached €136 billion in 2025, according to GEODIS. Italy is France’s fourth-largest trading partner, while France ranks as Italy’s second-largest trading partner.
The new connection forms part of GEODIS’ broader strategy to expand European intermodal transport and provide businesses with lower-emission alternatives to long-distance road freight.