The key points

The lorry arrives 1 hour before the departure time. On average it takes 1 hour to load a full train.The trucks, made by the Modalhor Group, are made up of two low-floor pivoting cradles between the bogies, that are securely locked to the body of the truck at each end.

The cradles are opened and turned to 30° onto the platform so that the trailers can be loaded at an angle. The trailers are pulled by a Lorry Rail port handling vehicle. The cradles are then returned to their original position, closed and locked.

It takes about 5 minutes to load or unload one trailer or one semi-trailer.

Carriers can make reservations on the internet up to 1 hour before the departure.

If the lorry is unexpectedly delayed, the trailer can be loaded onto the next train, which leaves 6 hours later.

The service, which is used mainly by tankers (80% of tankers crossing the Alps at this point), will be extended to include standard sized semi-trailers in May 2012 by widening the Mont Cenis tunnel.