Flood update – rail freight in northwest Germany paralysed
The floods deluging western and central Europe have impaired much of the rail infrastructure in Belgium while also causing problems in the Netherlands. Germany is not to be left out of the country list facing...Read moreFloods in Western-Europe: these railway lines are affected
Floods in western Europe are disrupting several cross-border railway lines. The areas most affected are the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. This is an update of the situation on Thursday afternoon.Read more
Iron Rhine or 3RX drafts to be dusted off…again
There will be a new study this fall into the feasibility of the Rhein-Ruhr-Rail Connection, also known as 3RX. The Belgian Minister of Mobility, Georges Gilkinet, reiterated that this week during a committee meeting of...Read more
Railterminal Gelderland one step closer to realisation
Construction of Railterminal Gelderland in the Netherlands is one step closer to realisation. The choice for Valburg as its location has now also been approved by the Provincial Council of the Province of Gelderland. This...Read more
The Netherlands concludes: railway cannot cope with extreme weather
The Dutch rail infrastructure cannot cope with extreme winter weather. It will require billions of euros to keep the rail infrastructure available under all circumstances, such as extreme heat in the summer, or winter weather...Read moreNew research into the construction of the Iron Rhine
The Netherlands is participating in a new study about the feasibility of a new train connection from Antwerp to the German Ruhr area. Belgian media report that the study is carried out jointly with Germany...Read more
Dutch track access charges under the microscope again
The Dutch infrastructure pricing regime is under examination. Track access charges in the Netherlands are way higher compared to Germany. Simultaneously, rail is more expensive than road transport. These differences hinder a level playing field...Read more
Port of Moerdijk wants to grow by planning smarter
The Dutch port of Moerdijk wants to see if it can increase the efficiency of its infrastructure to drive more trains. It wants to increase the current 60-70 weekly trains to 100 per week. But...Read more
Harbour Line Rotterdam closed for 6 days this fall for new viaduct
The new Theemsweg route in the port of Rotterdam is about to be connected to the Harbour Line. Although this is good news for the industry, it also means that the crucial rail freight corridor...Read more
First trains between Rotterdam-Pordenone on the way
This week was the starting point of Hupac’s new shuttle between Rotterdam and Pordenone in northern Italy. On Tuesday 1 June a first train departed in both directions. A second train is scheduled for today,...Read moreThe Netherlands sees drop in rail freight in 2020
In the Netherlands, 40 million tons of goods were transported by rail last year. This is 6.2 per cent less than in 2019. This decrease was entirely due to the decrease in port export and...Read moreIt is now or never for Dutch Rail Terminal Barneveld
If it is up to the Dutch city of Barneveld, the modal shift will be realised in the Veluwe region and ‘Rail Terminal Barneveld’ will be built. The idea has been around for years and...Read more
Alstom to equip DB Cargo freight locomotive with ETCS
Alstom has signed an agreement to equip one of DB Cargo’s freight locomotives with ETCS signaling technology. As part of this project, subsidised by the CEF and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, a...Read moreSiemens wins tender for modernisation of largest Dutch rail freight yard system
ProRail has awarded the modernisation of the system at the Kijfhoek freight yard to Siemens Mobility. Siemens will renew both the electronic and mechanical components. Work will start in mid-2023 and conclude by the end...Read more
First Direct Train from Nanjing to Tilburg is on its way
On 10 May, Tilburg acquired a new block train service connecting it with Nanjing in China. The first journey started from Nanjing Yaohua Gate Station and is expected to arrive at the railway terminal owned...Read more
Concerns in the South of Netherlands about increasing number of hazardous goods trains
Last year, the railway line crossing the Dutch West Braband province saw the transportation of 8,000 dangerous goods tank wagons. This yearly number may increase fivefold in the coming years-reaching 40,000. Municipalities in the region...Read more
RUSCON Group opens Dutch subsidiary in Rotterdam
As part of its European expansion program, RUSCON Group, a Russian container transport company, established its Dutch subsidiary Smartcontainer BV. The new company will provide logistics services to European shippers in cooperation with Delo Group...Read moreGovernment grants for Dutch companies that want to shift to rail
The Dutch government will financially support companies in the Netherlands that want to shift transport volumes from road to rail or barge. An amount of 2.5 million euros has been set aside for this. This...Read moreNorthern branch of Betuwe route still faces opposition
Various interest groups from the Dutch municipality of Berkelland have expressed their disagreement with proposals for a northern branch of the Betuwe Route. They did this with a letter to State Secretary Stientje van Veldhoven...Read more