P&O Ferrymasters, a DP World company, has introduced a new direct container rail service connecting Zeebrugge and Barcelona, marking a key step in the advancement of sustainable European freight transport. The first train departed on 23 September 2025, establishing the first-ever direct rail connection between a North Sea port and Barcelona.
Operating three times per week, the new service complements the existing Zeebrugge–Dourges–Perpignan route, effectively offering daily access to Spain.
The service delivers several key benefits, including reduced CO₂ emissions through an average 250 km reduction in road transport, greater reliability thanks to fewer intermediate stops, and enhanced flexibility by accommodating both containers and swap-bodies, with each train carrying up to 45 units.
Through a single booking, the new connection extends coverage across the UK and Ireland via ferry links from Zeebrugge, overland transport across Northern France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the Ruhr Area, and shortsea access to Scandinavia and the Baltics.
Starting with three rotations per week, P&O Ferrymasters plans to expand the service, positioning the Zeebrugge terminal as a strategic intermodal hub linking Spain and the UK through an environmentally efficient Manchester–Barcelona corridor.
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