Suez blockage ‘only aggravated’ container imbalance in EU ports
For European port hubs, the Suez Canal disturbance proved to be less impactful than expected. Nevertheless, container imbalances between imports and exports are still going strong, causing many issues to shippers. In fact, a survey...Read more
Lineas CEO: acquisition rail operator Rotterdam first step growth strategy
Lineas has taken over Independent Rail Partner (IRP), its long-term partner and an expert in first and last mile services in the Rotterdam region. With the acquisition, the originally Belgian operator wants to strengthen its...Read more
Port of Rotterdam makes step towards recovery
The port of Rotterdam has handled 115.8 million tonnes of freight in the first quarter of this year, a 3 per cent increase over the same period last year. This is a new step in...Read more
Replacing the train detection in the port of Rotterdam
In the coming years, the current train detection system of track circuits in the Dutch port of Rotterdam on the port railway is being replaced by axle counters. The project is the first large-scale application...Read more
Can rail handle the cargo volumes heading for Rotterdam?
Since the mega ship Ever Given was freed from the Suez Canal, the port of Rotterdam has been preparing for a wave of cargo coming its way. Most of this cargo is destined to be...Read more
Fire fighting train opens Waalhaven (Rotterdam) for dangerous goods
From today, 1 April 2021, shunting of almost all dangerous goods is permitted again at Waalhaven South yard in the port of Rotterdam. This is thanks to an extinguishing train, that was developed as a...Read more
ProRail: winterproof railway switch should be re-assessed
The Dutch infrastructure manager ProRail will reassess the so-called WInterproof RAilway (WIRA) switch that was fabricated ten years ago. According to the inventor of the switch, it could have been the solution to failing switches...Read more
Davies Turner drops LCL rates on Express China train
Following the end of the Chinese New Year’s festivities and the restart of services, Davies Turner decided to reduce its rail freight service rates between China and the UK. Rate reductions will start taking place...Read more
Rotterdam’s new Botlek Bridge sees first test runs with freight trains
The first trial runs across the new Botlek Bridge at the Port of Rotterdam were successfully completed last weekend. Goods trains of various weights crossed the railway tracks of the 1,200-metre-long bridge at different speeds....Read more
European Gateway Services connects Rotterdam and Regensburg
European Gateway Services is launching a new connection between Rotterdam and Regensburg in Bavaria, southern Germany. After a successful trial, the first trains will run on the new route from the end of March. A...Read morePorts of Antwerp and Zeebrugge merge to become Europe’s biggest hub
After about one and a half years of negotiations, the two Belgian ports announced that they reached an agreement to merge their port companies. Antwerp will have an 80,2 per cent interest while Bruges a...Read moreRail traffic to and from the Netherlands back on track
After a week of disruptions, rail freight traffic to and from the Netherlands has started to move again. This weekend, several operators posted good news stories on social media. Emplacement yard Kijfhoek, which remained a...Read more
Freight trains still stuck in the Netherlands (with updates)
In the port of Rotterdam, rail freight traffic has resumed gradually. Currently, main parts of the network are accessible. However, emplacement yard Kijfhoek is still partially unavailable. Moreover, the low temperatures over the weekend could...Read morePassenger trains move, freight trains still stuck in the Netherlands
In both the ports of Amsterdam and Rotterdam, rail freight traffic still faces considerable disruptions caused by the winter weather. Although the main network is free of snow, many switches on sidings are defective or...Read moreSnow-battered railways in Netherlands and Germany: day 3
On Tuesday 9 February the first freight trains were able to depart from the Netherlands to Germany, after two days of complete standstill. It was only a beginning; the majority of the train services planned...Read more
‘If we can’t drive, we help to get trains move again’
Train drivers in the Netherlands that were exempted from their job due to heavy snowfall decided to pick up the arms, and help battle the snow. On Tuesday and Wednesday, staff of several railway undertakings...Read more