Port of Rotterdam focuses on rail and safe clearance. Containers from across the Atlantic and Africa under strict control

By Marek Grzybowski

The Port of Rotterdam Authority and Swietelsky Rail Benelux B.V. have signed an agreement for the construction of a railway station with six tracks to complete 740-meter trains. It will be a greenfield Maasvlakte-Zuid railway station. The project was developed in close cooperation with ProRail and with funding from the European Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). Swietelsky will start construction in spring 2025. The first train should start in mid-2027.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority emphasizes that the construction of the railway station is necessary to facilitate the development of freight transport from Maasvlakte to the European hinterland. It aims to unclog the bottlenecks in the transport of containers from the terminals and increase throughput on the land connections. It also emphasizes that a reliable and competitive freight transport product is essential for Rotterdam’s position in the European hinterland. Container throughput is set to increase steadily in the coming years.

Containers on rails
It is emphasized that in order to continue to efficiently transport the growing flow of containers to the hinterland, the Port of Rotterdam Authority, ProRail and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management are investing in sustainable and efficient railway development. The construction of the Maasvlakte-Zuid railway station is part of the Port of Rotterdam Authority’s strategy to encourage the decarbonization of land transport by using rail freight transport.
Rail freight transport generates lower CO2, NOx and particulate emissions than road transport. This is in line with the climate goals of the European Green Deal, which aims to reduce transport emissions by 55% by 2030 and by 90% by 2050. This action is part of a broader decarbonization strategy of the city, the port authority and companies operating in the industrial cluster. We wrote about it here.
The development of the station will help the Rotterdam Port Authority reduce CO2 emissions from land and continental transport by 30% by 2030. This task is in line with the goals set out in the Climate Agreement. The Port Authority assumes that the further construction of the station will result in the launch of 6,750 additional rail connection combinations per year between Maasvlakte and the industrial hinterland of the European Union. This is equivalent to replacing 675,000 transport operations carried out by heavy goods vehicles per year.
The development of connections is the result of the consistently implemented strategy “Port Rail Logistics Vision for 2050” developed by the Port of Rotterdam and ProRail. The implementation of this vision of rail logistics is not only to eliminate potential future bottlenecks in rail connection capacity. At the same time, it is an element of building a competitive advantage over ports that focus on less ecological solutions and road transport.
A number of infrastructure projects have been planned by 2040 that will increase rail accessibility to Maasvlakte and optimize the logistics process, making it more sustainable. These projects are being implemented in stages in cooperation with ProRail. In addition to the construction of the Maasvlakte-Zuid railway station, the C2 curve (the port rail connection) will be modified and the port rail network will be further electrified. The volume of container traffic in the Port of Rotterdam is expected to increase thanks to the modernisation and expansion work. Rail freight to and from the Maasvlakte, as well as to the Europoort and Botlek, will also increase in the coming years. To cope with this growth, the Port of Rotterdam, ProRail, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and the European Union are investing in sustainable and efficient rail development.

Egbert van der Wal (Port of Rotterdam Authority), John Weijtmans (Swietelsky Rail Benelux B.V.) and Jan Mulder, Photo: ProRail

Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions
The investment objectives in the rail network are clearly formulated. The aim is to optimise the logistics process and make it more sustainable, which is why the last sections of the Maasvlakte Port railway line are being electrified. Currently, trains still have to be moved by diesel locomotives to reach their destination at the terminal. The change from electric to diesel locomotives results in longer waiting times for cargo. The electrification of the distribution triangle and the outer contour will eliminate the need for diesel locomotives. The result will be lower emissions in the port areas. Fewer stops and shorter waiting times for locomotives and cargo are also planned.

It is emphasised that all these investments are aimed at improving international freight transport, reducing road transport and providing a suitable alternative to inland waterways at low water levels. According to the port administration, this is an important contribution to the implementation of the Climate Agreement and the European Green Deal. The port authority is working to ensure greater accessibility for the Netherlands and the European hinterland.” The Rotterdam Port Authority is obtaining funds from the European Union for its investments. Given the wider European importance of improving rail freight transport in the Port of Rotterdam, the European Commission has granted funding from the Connecting Europe Facility.

Container in a secure transport chain
It is worth mentioning that in mid-September, the 500,000th container was handled in import in Rotterdam, which was handled securely via Secure Chain. It is emphasized that this eliminates frauds that occurred when shipping lines assigned PIN codes to containers.

The new operational approach has now become standard practice in Rotterdam for all containers imported from Latin America since April 1 and North America since July 1. Since October 1, 2024, container cargoes imported from Africa, the Middle East, India and Pakistan have found their way into Secure Chain.

The Rotterdam Port Authority emphasizes that thanks to this approach, the current milestone of 500,000 containers was reached in just over ten months and emphasizes that all import containers via ocean routes are now handled safely and reliably via Secure Chain. In this system, the shipping line, shipper, freight forwarder and carrier digitally transfer the right to receive a container to each other. This creates a closed logistics chain that only includes known, authorised parties. They securely exchange the necessary information with each other. This is done via the Port Community System of Portbase, a neutral logistics platform for Dutch ports. Only a carrier, barge operator or rail operator who has been authorised via Secure Chain can access the terminal.

Secure Chain is the result of cooperation between the business community and the authorities. The participants represent the entire logistics chain, supplemented by parties such as the Rotterdam Port Authority, Rotterdam Region, Dutch Customs and the Port Police. The launch of the safe and reliable collection and delivery of import containers in early 2024 is one aspect of Secure Chain.

Cargo security is also ensured by verification of the operating carrier at the gate of the container terminal. This automatic check ensures that the right driver always gets access to the cargo he has intended. All major container lines providing ocean connections to Rotterdam as well as container terminals in Rotterdam have joined Secure Chain.