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Like almost all ports in the world, the Port of Rotterdam saw its cargo traffic reduced due to the
dire economic situation in 2009. All modes of transport were affected, rail-borne transport being no
exception. The number of containers carried to and from the port of Rotterdam by rail decreased last year.
But in spite of reduced total cargo turnover, rail transport did see some fresh initiatives, the German
intermodal rail operator Kombiverkehr offering a great example. Working closely with Rotterdam-based
cargo handler ECT, this formidable player in the European combined road/rail transport market set up
a new container shuttle running between ECT's Delta Terminal, the Rail Service Centre Rotterdam and the
DeCeTe container terminal in Duisburg. A Dortmund branch was established at the same time. By now,
this service runs on a daily basis. Kombiverkehr started running a service connecting the Duisburg
terminal to the new Euromax container terminal on the Maasvlakte at the end of last year, which now
runs three times a week.
Intermodal container transport is back on the way up.
Photo Wim Scheurkogel
The bulk transport sector was particularly hard hit last year. Due to decreased industrial activity in the
Federal Republic of Germany, less coal and ore were carried. The chemical sector also saw cargo volumes
decrease. But this sector of the Rotterdam rail business saw its share of new initiatives as well.
For example, halfway through last year Rotterdam-Zuid based rail operator Raillogix set up a system for
on-demand steel trains. Because steel transport had taken quite a beating, this company started to put its
trains together in accordance with real-time demand. Raillogix arranged for the necessary carriages and
locomotives for these on-the-spot assemblies.
The first train, pulled by Rurtalbahn, carried a load of steel from Rotterdam to Neuss, near Düsseldorf. By
now, this concept has become hugely successful and will be deployed on a larger scale next year.
Another transport sector which came into being last year is rail-borne flower and plant transport. Halfway
through 2009 the Dutch flower auctions, working together in FloraHolland, loaded their first floral cargo
aboard trains bound for Italy. These cargo trains start their journey at the Rail Service Centre in Waalhaven,
with Milan being their final destination.
While the line started out on a trial basis, today FloraHolland has three containers carried from
Rotterdam to Milan every week. This highly specialised form of transport makes use of the
Unit-45, a 45-foot high cube container. The way things look now, the amount of cargo carried on this route
will continue to grow this year.
As FloraHolland has 20,000 containers worth of cargo destined for Italy every year, there are great
opportunities here for rail-borne transport. In addition, comparable flower and plant transports
destined for Romania and Poland will kick off at the beginning of this year.
The trial runs conducted with an environmentally sound shunter by the Rotterdam Rail Feeding (RRF)
railway company make up another rail success story from the Port of Rotterdam last year. This initiative
forms a perfect complement to the Rotterdam Port Authority's plan of action to combat harmful
emissions, "Rotterdam's Road Map towards Cleaner Air" (RAL).
The port's managing director Hans Smits and Léon Linders of manufacturer Alstom inaugurated the trial
runs for this new hybrid locomotive at the Bertschi container terminal in Botlek. This locomotive has a lot
to offer. Besides reducing carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions, this powerhouse
uses 40 per cent less fuel. This is hugely beneficial, and not in times of recession alone.
The port of Rotterdam is the only European port where such an environmentally friendly, cutting-edge
type of traction is currently being tested. This type of rail propulsion complements the locomotives which
will be deployed on the Havenspoorlijn - the first leg of the Betuwe Route, running between Rotterdam and
Emmerich - starting this year. Environmentally friendly electric locomotives will service that line.
At the end of last year, the overhead wires were equipped with 25 kV in capacity to allow for this. In
addition, the Havenspoorlijn was outfitted with the sophisticated European Rail Traffic Management
System (ERTMS) safety system. The ERTMS is currently in use on the Betuwe Route, making the
entire stretch between Maasvlakte and the German border suitable for electric locomotives.
These operate more efficiently because they are able to pull heavier loads. While the Betuwe Route can
accommodate a far larger number, now only 150 trains make their way between Rotterdam and
Emmerich through the Betuwe Route every week thanks to lower demand on the transport market.
A major improvement planned for this year is the development of rail corridors on the Rotterdam-
Poland connection. The Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works & Water Management has agreed to
clean up the bottlenecks in the rail connections between the Port of Rotterdam and several Polish
rail terminals, in close cooperation with the Polish authorities.
In this context, the Poles plan to construct five modern rail container terminals and extensive rail
infrastructure with a much updated fleet of cranes. This will greatly speed up the loading and offloading
process and might give Rotterdam-Poland rail traffic a strong boost. The construction of the five Polish
terminals will commence later this year.
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