The ‘Atlantic Intermodal Services’ project aimed at preparing the launch in early January 2017 of new Motorways of the Sea (MoS) services in the Atlantic Arc between the three ports of Brest, Leixões and Liverpool.
The project was submitted in March 2015 to the Connecting Europe Facility – Motorways of the Sea programme by the Chamber of Commerce of Brest (co-ordinator), Liverpool and Leixões was successfully selected in June 2015.
The project was designed to bring innovative solutions to support the launch of new shipping lines and ensure their sustainability. Innovation with regards to the business model, the financial instruments and digital logistics tools will facilitate the creation of a unified network of multimodal transport involving all stakeholders (investors, ports, ship-owners and partners).
This new approach to the Motorways of the Sea makes Atlantis a pilot project. Its resulting model could be reused for other Motorways of the Sea services.
The project covered all the necessary studies for the launch of Motorways of the Sea services between the three ports of Brest, Liverpool and Leixões:
1. Developing a formal network, governance structure, and innovative financial tools to accompany the development of the MoS services, and development of a wider stakeholder network in the port regions. This study covers the governance scheme, innovative legal and financial tools.
2. Prototyping the Atlantis ICT LSW (Logistic Single Window) collaborative network of platforms and studying the adaptation to each of the ports’ information systems. The Atlantis service platform will allow customers of the MoS services to reserve and book capacity on a door-to-door basis.
3. Carrying out the necessary technical feasibility work for relevant infrastructure required in the ports and their hinterlands.
4. Ensuring that there is a detailed operational plan for all stakeholders leading up to the launch of the services.
5. Undertaking an active communication action, to disseminate the project results, to promote the project, the MoS concept and the CEF program, and to allow the take-up of the results in other EU maritime regions.
Lastly a project team as well as a multinational strategic Steering Committee will be set up at the beginning of the activities. This organisation inscribed the project in multimodal transport development strategies, in particular for the Atlantic coasts.

The partnership between Leixões, Brest and Liverpool represents a South-North freight path supplying the North of the UK and Europe.
Liverpool has created an efficient multimodal network around the large port of Liverpool. Liverpool Superport is positioned as one of the major ports of the United Kingdom and Europe, with the ambition to be the port serving the North of the UK and Europe and the exchange with the US.
Leixões is one of the most important ports of trade in the South European Atlantic area. In addition to its geographical position, Leixões owns this development to a commitment in the European programmes for the development of its port infrastructure (oil terminals, RoRo and bulk), and the parallel development of software services of logistics stop for its partners.
The port of Brest fits naturally into this shipping line South-North. As shown in the map with relevant distances between the three ports, Atlantis offers a potentially competitive service of road transport, and opens the opportunity to aggregate to/from Brest flows of an extended hinterland (axes Brest-Paris/Lyon) by interconnecting railway and sea networks.
The map above highlights the geographic and economic rationale of the project: its integration in the European and national TEN-T schemes which it complements the main connections between major European and national transport nodes.

Taking into account transatlantic traffic growth forecasts, due to the extension of the Panama canal and the foreseen free trade agreement with the USA, the project addresses economic development opportunities at all scales: transatlantic, intra and extra-European.
The ports of Brest, Liverpool and Leixões are particularly well positioned to open up the Northern UK regions, Western French regions and the North of the Portugal. The anticipated benefits are of European, national and regional scope.
The intended RORO and LOLO services developed by Atlantis will assist towards the removal of trucks from congested road networks through the Iberian Peninsula, across the natural barriers of the Pyrenees and the English Channel and through congested road networks in France and Great Britain.
Through the TEN-T programme, and in particular Motorways of the Sea, Europe has been able to enhance the strengths of maritime transport with rail and road development plans.
Atlantis will contribute to the development of this strategy by setting up a new maritime line and services based on innovative solutions regarding the business model, the financial instruments and the digital logistic services.
More information on the project can be found via these links:
    www.brest.port.fr
    www.superport.com
    www.apdl.pt
    www.atlantis-mos.org