Pre- and Post-Carriage
All Roads Lead to the Port !
Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire Port facilitates the transportation of goods from or to the port installations thanks to its multimodal solutions, involving road, rail, inland waterway and even air. This broad choice of alternatives makes it possible to select the best option in terms of leadtime, price and quality of service, according to the type of goods being transported.
Rail for a Consolidated Transport Operation
Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire Port possesses 35 kilometres of railway line that is connected to the national rail system. The rail freight company Europorte is charged with the management and operational maintenance of the port-based rail network, the characteristics of which allow whole trainloads or separate wagonloads to be received at all the port facilities, without any particular restrictions as to size or weight. Employing an integrated management approach and connected to the national rail system, Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire Port is committed to developing rail freight for all types of traffic. This solution permits the consolidation of flows of goods and represents an effective alternative to road haulage.
- Whole trainloads comprising 22 to 46 wagons
- All the port terminals are connected to the rail network
- 11 industrial premises served directly on site (rail-connected installations)
- Types of freight: grain and cereals, oilseeds, steel products, energy supplies…
To find out about how to access the rail network, consult our reference document concerning the port-based rail network, available via the webpage "Accessing the Port".
The Inland Waterway Solution: Another Alternative
As with the development of rail freight, transportation by inland waterway is an alternative to rail haulage. The inland waterway option represents an ideal solution for the conveyance of special or oversized load convoys which may encounter many obstacles if transported by road. The Compagnie Ligérienne de Transport (CLT) provides regular rotations between Nantes and Montoir de Bretagne. The barges mainly transport aircraft components on behalf of Airbus, but can receive all types of freight. Connections are possible between the other port facilities, on request.
Barges that are suitable for transporting :
- heavy-lift cargo consignments (capacity of 1 800 tonnes)
- containers (up to 176 TEUs)
- solid bulk cargo (capacity of 3 600 m3)
Optimum Road and Air Links
The Port of Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire enjoys direct, seamless access to the road network, being 5 minutes away from the junctions with the major roads going to Brittany, Vendée, Poitou-Charentes and Anjou. The Port is just 1 hour 30 minutes from Rennes, 1 hour from Vannes, 1 hour from La Roche-sur-Yon, and 4 hours from Paris.
Two airports are situated in immediate proximity to the port installations: Montoir Gron Airport, which is 3 kilometres to the north of the Montoir de Bretagne container and multi-bulk terminals, and Nantes Atlantique Airport, which is located to the south of the River Loire, 10 kilometres away from the Nantes Cheviré facilities.