With the Port of Antwerp hoping to increase the share of its traffic carried by barge from 30 percent to 40 percent, officials are looking at ways to consolidate volumes to improve speed and efficiency, International Freighting Weekly reported.
Current services are based on shuttle links to and from inland container ports connecting with each dock and terminal at the port.
This makes for a fragmented service with inbuilt wastage of time and capacity, according to John Kerkhof, director of policy and organisation for port employers' association, Alfaport.
Antwerp is also looking into transponder-based GPS systems to allow shipping lines and customers to track the progress of each box between barge and mothership, and to allow more efficient planning of cargo movements.
The project will undergo trials next year, and could go live as early as 2010.
Several major European ports are looking at ways to improve their barge connections, and nearby competitor Rotterdam aims to transport up to 45 percent of its traffic by barge in the future.
Current services are based on shuttle links to and from inland container ports connecting with each dock and terminal at the port.
This makes for a fragmented service with inbuilt wastage of time and capacity, according to John Kerkhof, director of policy and organisation for port employers' association, Alfaport.
Antwerp is also looking into transponder-based GPS systems to allow shipping lines and customers to track the progress of each box between barge and mothership, and to allow more efficient planning of cargo movements.
The project will undergo trials next year, and could go live as early as 2010.
Several major European ports are looking at ways to improve their barge connections, and nearby competitor Rotterdam aims to transport up to 45 percent of its traffic by barge in the future.