The inauguration of Liège Trilogiport promises a bright future. The largest trimodal (water-rail-road) platform in Wallonia, located on the Albert Canal, should create 2,000 jobs according to the Walloon government.
The project by the Walloon Public Service and the autonomous Port of Liège is part of the economic redeployment of Wallonia. This trimodal platform covering almost 120 hectares has taken three years to build and will be operational at the start of 2016. It has cost €55 million, €9 million of which comes from European funds.
According to Walloon authorities, Trilogiport will become a true "logistical hub" in the heart of Europe thanks to its strategic location and ease of access. It has connections with the sea ports of Antwerp (14 hours by ship), Rotterdam (24 hours by ship) and Dunkirk (48 hours by ship). It is also at the crossroads of a motorway and rail network which provides connections to Paris, Aix-la-Chapelle, Antwerp, Brussels, Cologne and Maastricht.
The construction of Liège Trilogiport will help to cut back road traffic by almost 150,000 trucks per year, thanks to its storage capacity designed to receive 200,000 containers a year, which can then be transported by ship and train. According to forecasts by the cabinet of the Walloon Minister for Public Works, Maxime Prévot, this trimodal platform should enable the creation of about 2,000 direct and indirect jobs.