Deutsche Bahn and Port of Rotterdam Authority to coordinate on construction of 3rd track
Deutsche Bahn and the Port of Rotterdam Authority want to coordinate the extension of the Emmerich-Oberhausen section closely. Discussions to this aim were held on Wednesday in Rotterdam by the boards of Deutsche Bahn AG, Deutsche Bahn Netz (infrastructure management), Deutsche Bahn Schenker Rail (freight transport) and the Executive Board of the Port of Rotterdam Authority.
It is of the utmost importance to both companies that construction proceed as effectively as possible. To start with, the existing capacity of the Betuwe Route in Germany will be used to prevent transport bottlenecks. Additionally, other cross-border routes will have to be used. This is intended to guarantee no loss of capacity for freight transport during the whole of the construction phase.
Hans Smits, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority: “We were extremely pleased when the financing agreement relating to the extension of this important traffic artery was signed in July. Now we are faced with a tough job. We must moreover cooperate closely with each other to build the route as rapidly as possible and limit inconvenience.”
“The European rail operator Deutsche Bahn Schenker Rail wants to and can mean more for the port of Rotterdam. During the extension of the Betuwe Route we will make every effort to ensure that our customers experience flawless rail transport,” according to Dr. Alexander Hedderich, CEO of Deutsche Bahn Schenker Rail.
“The extension means that the capacity for freight transport will almost double. During the construction phase, detour routes, among other things, will ensure that sufficient capacity is available. Moreover, at the same time we will make considerable improvements to the protection against noise pollution along the route, thus reducing the inconvenience for residents,” says Dr. Jörg Sandvoss, Board member for Sales and Timetabling at Deutsche Bahn Netz AG.
The route is part of the most important freight traffic corridor in Europe, the Rotterdam-Genoa corridor. The extension and modernisation will create a better connection between the Rhine/Ruhr conurbation and the port of Rotterdam. In the coming years, € 1.5 billion will be invested in the extension of the 73-km section.
Senior executives from Deutsche Bahn and the Port of Rotterdam Authority met last Wednesday in Rotterdam. The Port Authority used this opportunity to present the major developments of the port. The growth forecasts for the port of Rotterdam for the coming decades were also discussed. The port wants to double the share of rail for freight transport for all hinterland traffic in the period up to 2030, and Deutsche Bahn is a particularly important partner in this endeavour.