VIIA claims that effective use of the system cuts the cost of long distance (over 900 kilometres) journeys by up to 15% set against driver accompanied journeys by reducing staffing requirements, cutting out road tolls and of course decreasing fuel use which saves money and reduces environmental impact. VIIA claims a current reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with road travel of up to 90%. It says such services account for a fall in carbon dioxide production of some 70,000 tonnes annually.
According to the French group, the creation of a pan European rail motorway network by 2020 would transfer hundreds of thousands of truck journeys from the motorways, with a potential saving of 450,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.
VIIA is currently marketing not only the service, which it calls ‘Lorry Rail’ which transits between Le Boulou, on the French-Spanish border to Bettembourg in Luxembourg, but also the Alpine Rail Motorway (AFA), using which it joins Aiton (near Chambéry) in south eastern France and Orbassano (near Turin) passing under the Mountains.
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