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In the coming years, the Rotterdam Port Authority will
put a strong emphasis on the expansion of intermodal
rail transportation to the hinterland. The RPA has set up
a special Rail Programme for this purpose. It maps out
the logistical handling of future freight flows by rail until
2035. Based on this plan, the RPA will intensively focus
on the development of inter-modal terminals, both in
the Netherlands and abroad.
There are three key points in the Rail Programme. Firstly,
the systematic expansion of terminal capacity in the port
of Rotterdam. They must have sufficient capacity to be
able to handle the expected volume of 20 million
landside twenty-foot containers. Of this load volume, at
least 20 per cent or around 4 million containers must be
transported to the hinterland by rail annually. Secondly,
the RPA will take a close look at the various
transportation corridors. They must have sufficient
capacity to be able to handle a significantly greater
number of trains than has hitherto been the case. In that
connection, the RPA also considers itself to be
responsible for the sufficient availability of transshipment
capacity in the hinterland. Thirdly, the RPA will concern
itself intensively with the development of intermodal
terminals in the hinterland, both in its home country and
abroad. This is a completely new development,
evidenced, for example, by the participation of the RPA
in the German federal state of North Rhine Westphalia,
which is key for the Rotterdam port.
The Rotterdam Port Authority will put a strong emphasis on the expansion of intermodal rail transportation to the hinterland.
Photo Port Pictures
From there, port management intends to expand its participation in the direction of Southern
Germany. The RPA still has an insufficient market share in the transportation of rail loads in that part
of the Federal Republic. The RPA will expand this on the basis of the above-mentioned Rail Programme.
In addition to Southern Germany, the Rotterdam Port Authority also sets a policy for the development of
freight flows by rail to the Czech Republic and Slovakia with its Rail Programme. This means that the RPA will
invest in locations for new intermodal terminals in those countries in the coming years. The objective is to entice
containers with destinations in Central Europe from ports that compete with Rotterdam to the abovementioned
regions via the RPA, including on the basis of new partnerships.
According to the RPA, the transportation axis Rotterdam-North Rhine Westphalia-Southern Germany-
Czech Republic will become one of the most important rail corridors in coming years. That does not mean in
the least that the Rotterdam-Italy corridor will not get any more attention. That axis remains of undiminished
importance for the port of Rotterdam. The RPA has new initiatives in the offing for further strengthening the
Rotterdam-Italy corridor in the near future.
Another important point in strengthening the position of Rotterdam in the hinterland is the possible financial
participation in the tri-modal port of Duisburg in the German Ruhr. This extremely important hub for rail
transportation, inland shipping and road transportation is constantly expanding its activities. For
example, about 70 destinations all over Europe are served by rail alone from this, the largest inland port
in the world.
Important sources of traffic include the daily intermodal trains of Kombiverkehr between ECT Maasvlakte, the
Euromax terminal and the DeCeTe/DUSS terminal in Duisburg. During the difficult year of 2009,
Kombiverkehr was able to successfully set up the Betuwe Express for the transportation of containers on
the above-mentioned transportation axis. This rail operator arranges directly connecting trains from
Duisburg to all parts of Europe.
Moreover, the Betuwe Express currently not only serves Duisburg, but also the terminals in the port of
Dortmund. The previously mentioned DUSS terminal in Duisburg is being systematically expanded with more
rail infrastructure. During the past year, the terminal was expanded with a ninth loading/unloading track
1,000 metres in length. Amongst others, that is important for the fast loading/unloading of trains with
maritime containers. And additionally, an advance is taken on e.g. Deutsche Bahn AG's plans to start
running with significantly longer trains than the current 700 metres in the not too distant future.
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