A new three-weekly direct rail connection will be launched between the port of Rotterdam and the inland depots of Kornwestheim, Munich and Nuremberg in Germany. The service will start on 1 July and is operated by Eurogate Intermodal (EGIM).

The service connects the sites in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg directly to the seaport terminals ECT Delta and Euromax on Maasvlakte I in the port of Rotterdam. The APMT and RWG terminals on Maasvlakte II are reached via the Rotterdam PortShuttle.Moreover, connections to the port of Antwerp are available on request.

Hinterland by rail

With this new service, EGIM is responding to increasing cargo flows via the western ports and consequently, to the increasing demand for intermodal services from these ports. Germany is the largest hinterland destination for the Dutch port. However, it handles only 10 per cent of hinterland container traffic via rail. The direct links support the EU’s goal to increase the share of container transports by rail or barge from 18 to 30 per cent by the year 2030, noted EGIM.

Niels Riedel, Sales Manager at EGIM, comments: “With our new services, we are responding to market developments in the maritime business. The Eurogate Group has been orientated towards Europe for twenty years. In order to operate in line with demand, we monitor developments in the port landscape very closely and react accordingly.”