The rail freight connection between the Port of Rotterdam and the logistics hub of Venlo on the Dutch-German border will be increased to fourteen services per week. Currently, the journey is made five times per week. This was announced by rail operator APM Terminals on Maasvlakte II, from where the trains leave the port.

Maasvlakte II’s head of commercial management Roy De Haan was quoted as saying in a report by Colchester’s Seatrade Maritime News: “The terminal is equipped with a fully automated 500-metre barge berth, offering a reliable and efficient connection between Rotterdam and Venlo,’ which is regarded as an ideal inland location for servicing the distribution centres of major retailers.”

Success story

The service started as a pilot end of 2018 with three rail services per week. In July, the terminal operator anticipated offering eight departures per week and now it has decided to increase the frequency up to 14 departures per week.

“With transport times of between six and seven days by barge, the new overnight rail service is very appealing to customers in industries such as fast fashion, where speed to market is an essential competitive advantage”, De Haan said.

Added value

“As the rail operator, APM Terminals also has direct influence on both terminals (Maasvlakte II and Cabooter Berick), which enables the company to provide priority loading/discharge for urgent containers. The direct point-to-point service also offers increased reliability as there are no terminal stops that could bring potential delays”, De Haan explained.

‘Each rail departure has capacity for 96 TEU, which replaces around 48 trucks on the road. The electrified rail service runs on electricity from renewable sources, providing a clear environmental benefit for customers,’ he added.