Container and bulk trains begin operations MondayJune 11th on a new 100-mile rail corridor linking the Port of Rotterdam with the German rail network.

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands on Saturday will officially open the Betuwe line, which cost more than $6 billion and took 10 years to build. The line, which is opening six months behind schedule, is expected to speed up the movement of containers to and from Rotterdam’s Maasvlakte complex by shifting cargoes from trucks on congested highways circling Europe’s biggest box hub. Betuwe operator Keyrail expects to handle an average of 80 trains a day in each direction by the end of this year, doubling to around 160 by 2012. The freight-only line is not expected to be fully operational until mid-2008 while lingering technology issues are resolved.

The Port of Rotterdam has a 35-percent stake in Keyrail, the port of Amsterdam has 15 percent, with the remainder is owned by ProRail, a government agency. Most Betuwe traffic is expected to remain on rails after it passes the German border but some cargoes likely will be unloaded at the German inland port of Duisburg for consolidation and onward transportation by barge.

The new line is forecast to sharply increase rail’s current 14-percent share of maritime containers moving through Rotterdam, widening the gap with its closest rival where less than 10 percent of boxes travel by rail.

It runs twice a day and brings in soy from Hungary into the port for export. The pictured one runs the empty leg, back to the east. It passed the German-Dutch border at approx. 10.20 h. Once the system is running for 100%, the travelling time is approx. 1.5 hour.

For some time (still work going on especially on the new European safety system ERMTS) one train an hour is running the tracks. In 2009, Keyrail expects some 110 trains per 24 hours. Gradually the number will grow to 240 trains (5 trains per direction per hour, a long term commercial target) and eventually 480 trains is the technical maximum. The connecting rail in Germany has capacity available for 4 freight trains (other capacity is for passenger trains) per direction per hour. Despite pessimistic voices, this is enough to cover the expected demand until approx. 2013 a third track is ready for use in Germany. This coincides with the start if the first container terminals on the Second Maasvlakte.

Source: Port of Rotterdam

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