EWS has launched the first of many new Channel Tunnel intermodal trains with a new train service from Duisburg in Germany to Manchester.

The new service, which will operate daily Tuesday to Saturday, provides intermodal operators and shippers with a next day arrival and the opportunity to bypass the heavily congested M62 motorway.

Duisburg is a city of half a million people situated in the north Rhine Westphalia area, traditionally associated with heavy industry.

EWS is now part of the DB Schenker organisation and DB Intermodal locomotives haul the train from Germany to the tunnel. EWS, with its extensive experience of operating international services through the Channel Tunnel, takes over at Calais.

David Kerr, EWS commercial director, said: “This is the first in a series of new intermodal services which EWS will be launching during 2008.

“This provides intermodal operators and shippers with the opportunity to bypass increasingly congested motorways and ports, thereby reducing their carbon footprint and enhancing their service offering.

“The creation of Euro Cargo Rail in France in 2006 and its expansion into Spain this year, combined with our role as part of DB Schenker, is enabling EWS to create alternative European-wide rail freight solutions in response to expanding market demand.”

The Duisburg to Manchester trains are the start of a new network of European intermodal rail freight services which were announced last year. They will be launched by EWS this year, connecting key European hubs with Britain via the Channel Tunnel.

During 2008, services will be rolled out to connect Belgium, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Switzerland with the key UK economic regions of the Midlands, North West England and Scotland.

EWS says the intermodal services will offer customers the benefits of lower costs, enhanced security, reliability, capacity and safety. Importantly, they will also provide customers with significant reductions in CO2 emissions compared with road haulage.