The river port of Longueil-Sainte-Marie in the Oise department (Hauts de France region) has been developed into a multimodal platform, spanning 14 hectares. Officially opened in November 2013, the new site includes a container terminal designed to handle an annual traffic of 20 000 standard containers in 2018. It also includes a bulk storage area and an 'ecological wetland'. Located at the intersection of the A1 and RD200 road network and the Oise river, it is expected to be connected to the future Seine-Nord Europe canal, as well as the railway lines.
Longueil-Sainte-Marie introduces a multimodal platform in anticipation of the Seine-Nord Europe canal
- 23 November 2017
The day the Seine-Nord canal is completed, we'll change dimension. One of every two containers leaving Paris travel to Antwerp, in Belgium. We will be right at the forefront.
The river port development can be accessed by river units weighing up to 4 400 tonnes. This has made it possible to open up the business park to container traffic along the Oise, which flows into the Seine to the south west, and connects road systems and river transport travelling up to ports in Paris, Rouen and Le Havre.
This operation was launched by the Longueil-Sainte-Marie Joint River Port Association, which groups together the County Council of Oise, the Agglomeration Communities of the Compiègne Region and the Plaine d'Estrées community of communes.
The container terminal welcomed its first containers in April 2015, in conjunction with the establishment of a steady waterway connection to Le Havre. With a 23 000 m2 surface area (extendible to 60 000 m2), it is equipped with a 190 m long dock. It can handle an annual traffic of 20 000 "TEUs" (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units).
It is currently operated by Société Terminaux de Seine (Seine Terminals Company). The 41 500 m2 'bulk' area (extendible to 60 000 m2) includes a terminal for aggregates. It is designed to handle 280 000 tonnes of transport activity in 2018. A 58 300 m2 'ecological wetland' stretches along the TGV railway route. A heavy-goods parking area and access roads facilitate the connection to the road network, particularly the A1 motorway that links Paris and Lille, as well as the RD200 express road, which provides a connection to Compiègne.
Thanks to the Longueil-Saint-Marie multimodal platform, businesses can circulate their merchandise between the region and the Paris Basin, as well as the ports of Rouen and Le Havre. The site will reach its optimum functionality when the Seine-Nord Europe canal opens, thus linking the Oise to the Canal Dunkerque-Escaut. It will act as a significant logistical location along the river route by connecting the ports of Paris, Rouen and Le Havre to the Dunkirk Major Sea Port and North Europe.
Several businesses in the Longueil-Sainte-Marie business park have gladly welcomed the commissioning of the port. This is the case with the German wind turbine manufacturer, Enercon, who installed their concrete tower factory in the commune of Longueil-Sainte-Marie in 2012, with a view to being close to motorway links and waterways along the Oise.
The connection to the railway network is still under consideration while its possible uses are being analysed. With regard to the construction of the Seine Nord canal, this is a project that has been long-awaited by local key players because it will bring a new dimension to the Longueil-Sainte-Marie multimodal platform.
Total investment and EU funding
The 'Longueil-Sainte-Marie multimodal platform precedes Seine-Nord Europe' project has received a total investment of EUR 11 711 666. The European Regional Development Fund contributed EUR 995 840 under the Picardy operational programme for the 2007-2013 programming period.