A CMA CGM container in Malta, 18 Sept. 2025. (Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)
The French maritime transport and logistics giant CMA CGM announced Monday that it is acquiring the UK’s top rail freight operator, Freightliner UK Intermodal Logistics, without disclosing the transaction amount.
With this acquisition, which will be finalized in early 2026, the shipping company becomes “a key player in rail logistics in the United Kingdom” and strengthens its position in intermodal transport, it said in a statement.
Freightliner UK Intermodal Logistics is part of the British Freightliner group, which also operates in the Netherlands and Poland (rail freight), as well as in Germany (freight and passenger trains). These other activities are not included in the deal.
“The revenue for Freightliner’s activity in the scope acquired by CMA CGM is about GBP300 million” (344 million euros), the group told AFP.
Freightliner UK Intermodal Logistics transported 770,000 containers in 2024 in the UK, the two companies also said in a call with journalists.
CMA CGM, the world’s third-largest maritime carrier, is based in Marseille and owns a fleet of more than 650 vessels.
“The acquisition of Freightliner, a major rail freight operator, strengthens our intermodal presence in the UK, a strategic market for CMA CGM. It enables us to connect sea, rail and road more efficiently,” said group CEO Rodolphe Saade, quoted in the press release.
“It’s also a concrete step toward developing low-carbon transport for global trade,” Saade said.
The shipping company, which is also the fifth-largest logistics player worldwide, plans to expand this business to hedge against the uncertainties of maritime shipping.
This year, CMA CGM has suffered from trade uncertainty over tariffs and a geopolitical climate disrupting vessel flows, notably in the Red Sea.
In the second quarter, its net profit fell 21 percent to $521 million (442 million euros), with stable revenue at $13.17 billion (11 billion euros).
The Marseille-based group operates 60 port terminals in 30 countries across five continents, either independently or in joint ventures.
CMA CGM also has a media division and owns BFMTV, RMC, Chérie 25, Brut, and the newspapers La Tribune, La Provence and Corse Matin.