|
|
Excellent infrastructure is not the only reason rail traffic is becoming an ever more crucial part of
transport from the Port of Rotterdam to the hinterland. Rail traffic's role is also determined by
the quality of the rolling stock used by different rail operators.
Modern locomotives and carriages are a must, of course, but the quality of equipment can never be
greater than the quality of maintenance. Proper maintenance ensures the reliable and secure
processing of rail traffic emanating from the port of Rotterdam. The fact that three locomotive and railway
carriage maintenance companies are based in the port area is crucial in this respect.
One of these companies is Nedtrain BV, which has its roots in a chain of workshops set up by Nederlandse
Spoorwegen (Dutch Railways). The company operates a string of maintenance and repair facilities servicing
railway carriages and locomotives in the immediate surroundings of the Port of Rotterdam, namely in Rotterdam-Zuid.
To better serve its clients, Nedtrain is currently constructing a new workshop in the port
area. Halfway through last year the first pile was driven for the foundation of this cutting-edge
maintenance facility in Rotterdam's Waalhaven which is currently still under construction. This new freight
locomotive maintenance workshop is to be taken into operation this summer. The facility includes a
15 meter high factory unit covering 2,000 square metres, and features five railway tracks for maintenance purposes.
In addition, a three story office building is to be constructed, along with a
5,000 square metre industrial area where railway cars and locomotives can be parked temporarily.
Nedtrain's new, state-of-the-art maintenance facility is strategically located directly on the Betuwe Route,
the rapid dedicated freight railway running from the port of Rotterdam to Emmerich on the Dutch/German border.
Shunter BV is another company that does business in the Port of Rotterdam. Its business is divided over
three operating companies. One of them operates under the name of Shunter Locomotives and carries
out all locomotive maintenance. A second operating company, called Shunter Wagenbedrijf, specialises in
the repair and maintenance of freight cars.
Finally, Shunter Tractie is the company's rail carrier, responsible for picking up defective locomotives and
carriages. Shunter Tractie owns thirty diesel locomotives, a fleet which it rents out to third parties
but also uses for its own operations. The company also owns a large assortment of shunters, ensuring
that traction needs of clients can always be met. Shunter has a small covered workshop with a couple
of tracks for minor repairs and maintenance on carriages in Rotterdam-Zuid, and a much larger
workshop with some 13 railway tracks for more extensive maintenance strategically located near the Dutch/Belgian border.
In addition, Shunter owns a facility in Rotterdam's Waalhaven where it maintains and repairs diesel
and electric locomotives for a large number of private operators.
Rail maintenance company Shunter has its own fleet of thirty locomotives.
Photo Wim Scheurkogel
A third company in the railway carriage maintenance business in the Port of Rotterdam is Railcar Service
Kuijpers (RSK). This company, with branches in Bergen op Zoom, Terneuzen and Lyon, specialises in
the repair and maintenance of freight cars. RSK operates a number of service vehicles to carry out onthe-
spot repairs of damaged carriages and locomotives. RSK has five of these service buses
staffed with technicians on call, two of which are permanently operational in the Port of Rotterdam. In
addition to these locations, RSK has an assistance centre in the Port of Rotterdam and a service track in
Rotterdam-IJsselmonde. RSK clients are large railway companies, such as the French state-owned railroad
company SNCF, one of the largest rail businesses in Europe.
The presence of three cutting-edge rail maintenance companies is essential to rail business in the port of
Rotterdam. This ensures that train traffic runs smoothly and malfunctions are quickly taken care of.
It is also important for another reason: starting in 2010, officially recognised international freight
carriers will be allowed access to all Trans European Rail Freight Freeways (TERFF). These rail corridors are
to connect all important European ports with the industrial hinterland. This will make possible
continued growth in rail activity in the port of Rotterdam, so that it will be even more essential that
breakdowns are not allowed to obstruct traffic.
|
|
