The Port of Rotterdam is to get six new 740-metre train tracks. It’s the first phase of a new rail yard at the western end of the complex of berths on the River Maas. The Port of Rotterdam Authority and infrastructure agency Swietelsky Rail Benelux BV have signed the contract for the construction of a bundle of six tracks suitable for 740-meter trains as part of the new Maasvlakte-Zuid railway yard.
The world’s largest seaport outside Asia is to have a radical upgrade to its complicated and extensive freight rail network. Construction of the long-awaited Maasvlakte-Zuid railway yard will get underway in 2025, with the first fan of six rail loops being laid down. The siding length of 740 metres represents the desired European standard maximum for freight train operations. Maasvlakte lies at the western end of the port, which opens out into the North Sea. Construction partner Swietelsky plans to finish the project by mid-2027.
Port Rail Logistics Vision
Rail freight operations at Rotterdam have been growing in recent years, leading to congestion along the complex of berths and industrial installations. “The infrastructure expansion is necessary to enable rail freight transport growth from the port into the European hinterland,” says the Port of Rotterdam. The additional capacity of the new yard will help mitigate capacity bottlenecks. “A reliable and competitive rail freight product is indispensable for Rotterdam’s position. Container throughput is set to grow steadily over the coming years”, the Port of Rotterdam says.
The Port of Rotterdam Authority and Dutch infrastructure management body ProRail have drafted a document called the 2050 Port Rail Logistics Vision. This plan provides insight into the future capacity bottlenecks on the Port of Rotterdam Railway, and how they can be remedied. A number of infrastructure projects are planned in the period up to 2040, which support increased rail accessibility to the Maasvlakte. These projects include the yard, a series of track realignments, and an electrification programme.
Ties in with TEN-T
The sister publication to WorldCargo News, RailFreight.com, reports that this project was developed in close cooperation with ProRail and with the use of a European Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) subsidy. Swietelsky will start construction in the spring of 2025. “To continue transporting the increasing flow of containers efficiently to the hinterland, the Port of Rotterdam Authority, ProRail and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management are investing in sustainable and efficient rail development,” said a statement from Port of Rotterdam.
Rotterdam is a critical part of the much wider European TEN-T project. This is an ambitious multimodal transport network, aimed at increasing reliability for European industry and widening markets throughout the Continent. A number of infrastructure projects are planned in the period up to 2040 that will increase rail access, according to Port of Rotterdam. “We are implementing these projects in phases,” says the Port Authority. “We are realising the first phase of the Maasvlakte-Zuid railway yard in collaboration with ProRail. This will provide a robust hinterland connection for rail freight that will be operational by mid-2027.”
Additional reporting by Dennis van der Laan of RailFreight.com