XPO, a leading global provider of freight transportation services, has acquired 100 P400 road-rail trailer units to expand the capacity of the multimodal transport services it offers from the Iberian Peninsula to other European markets. XPO will operate the road-rail trailers in new sea and rail corridors that cannot accommodate conventional trailers. 

The P400 is the most widely used huckepack semi-trailer for the combined distribution of goods by road, rail and sea, because it fits the four-metre maximum height at which a semi-trailer can be transported by rail. Each unit is lifted and placed on the train carriage without the tractor head. At the end of the rail journey, the semi-trailer is removed from the train and hitched to a tractor unit that transports it to its next destination. 

Massimo Marsili, managing director – Southern Europe and Morocco for XPO, said, "With the acquisition of 100 P400 units, we are boosting cargo capacity for the various multimodal transport solutions that XPO has implemented in recent months. We will continue to focus on combinations of road, rail and sea freight transport as innovative solutions to increase supply chain efficiency for our customers, while reducing carbon emissions in line with our commitment to sustainability."

In recent months, XPO has announced the launch of two multimodal transport solutions from the Iberian Peninsula. XPO transports goods from the Iberian Peninsula to the UK via France with a combination of road and rail transport. The company's customs specialists handle the bureaucratic formalities required for the English Channel crossing through the Eurotunnel, and upon arrival in the UK, XPO manages the last-mile transport and distribution to the customer's premises. With each rail journey between Perpignan and Calais, this solution reduces CO2 emissions by 1,300 kilograms, the equivalent of the CO2 absorbed by 52 trees each year. 

XPO also manages daily freight flows outbound and inbound between the ports of Barcelona and Valencia in Spain and Savona in Italy. The company distributes the goods by road from the origin to the port and, once the freight arrives in Savona via short sea crossing, XPO transports it from the port to a distribution point for unloading. The final stage involves last-mile delivery or distribution to the customer's facilities, creating a fully flexible end-to-end solution.