The consortium led by the CMA CGM Group—a global player in maritime, land, air, and logistics solutions (67%)—along with Banque des Territoires (25%), the Lyon Métropole Saint-Etienne Roanne Chamber of Commerce and Industry (4%), and the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (4%), is today launching operations at the container terminal of the Port Édouard Herriot in Lyon, now named Lyon Rhône Terminal, under a 30-year concession.
CMA CGM and its partners—the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Region, the Metropolitan Authority, the City of Lyon, and the French State—are combining their expertise and resources to take on the challenge of positive intermodality for the competitiveness and efficiency of goods flows.
The project aims to boost river and rail traffic via major French ports, particularly along the Mediterranean-Rhône-Saône corridor, through infrastructure modernization, the development of new services, and encouraging modal shift. Currently, river and rail are the most ecological and natural forms of mass transport. They are also the least invasive and the lowest in carbon emissions.
During a visit to the terminal, now officially named “Lyon Rhône Terminal,” Christine Cabau-Woehrel, Executive Vice President of CMA CGM in charge of operations and assets, stated: “Taking over the sub-concession of the Lyon port container terminal is fully in line with our intermodal development strategy. We are convinced that river and rail transport provide a competitive and environmentally friendly alternative that is essential for the future of logistics in France.”
A maritime carrier with longstanding operations in French ports—such as Marseille, Dunkirk, the French Caribbean, and Le Havre—as well as globally, CMA CGM brings its expertise to the Port of Lyon to enhance efficiency, strengthen competitiveness, and develop innovative, decarbonized logistics solutions. This project is part of the Group’s broader strategy to encourage modal shift and strengthen river and rail connections between major French and European logistics hubs.
By managing the Port of Lyon, CMA CGM continues its commitment to economic development in France and Europe, building on already existing strategic infrastructure.
CMA CGM intends to work closely with local logistics stakeholders and partners. The site is expected to become a key support point for cargo volumes moving to and from Marseille Fos via the Rhône corridor and other French ports by rail. The Lyon terminal will benefit from targeted investments to enhance operational efficiency and offer customers increasingly high-performing and sustainable logistics solutions.
