The French maritime and logistics giant CMA CGM (owner of BFM Business) announced on Monday to acquire the first British railway load operator, Freightliner UK intermodal logistics, without revealing the amount of the transaction.
With this acquisition that will be finished in early 2026, the shipowner became “a key player in railway logistics in the United Kingdom” and is strengthened in intermodal transport, he said in a press release. Freightliner UK Logistics Intermodal is part of the British Freightliner group, which also has activities in the Netherlands and Poland (railway load), as well as in Germany (trains of goods and travelers). These are not affected by the transaction.
“Connect the sea, the railroad and the road more efficiently”
Freightliner UK Logistics Intermodal transported 770,000 containers in 2024 to the United Kingdom, the two companies also said during a telephone point with journalists. The CMA CGM group, the third world maritime carrier, is based in Marseille and has a fleet of more than 650 ships.
“Freightliner’s acquisition, an important railway load operator, strengthens our intermodal presence in the United Kingdom, a strategic market for CMA CGM. It allows us to connect the sea, the railroad and the road more effectively,” said the group’s CEO, Rodolphe Saadé, cited in the press release. “It is also a specific step towards the development of CO2 of low issuance for world trade,” according to Rodolphe Saadé.
The shipowner, who is also the fifth world player in Logistics, intends to develop this activity to counteract the caps of maritime transport. CMA CGM has suffered this year for commercial uncertainties about customs tasks and a geopolitical context that interrupts traffic, especially in the Red Sea.
In the second quarter, its net profit decreased by 21%, to $ 521 million (442 million euros), for a stable turnover of $ 13.17 billion (11 billion euros). The Marseillais group operates 60 port terminals in 30 countries, in five continents, alone or in a joint company. CMA CGM also has a media branch and also has BFM Business BFMTV, RMC, Chérie 25, Brut, Newspapers La Tribune, La Provence and Corsica Morning.
Source: BFM TV
