On 4 April this year the intermodal rail operator IFB will launch a new rail shuttle service linking the port areas on either side of the river Scheldt, Port of Antwerp says in a press release.
Named LORO (the Dutch acronym for Left Bank/Right Bank) the new service will operate every weekday, running between the IFB terminal on the Zomerweg road and quays 1700 and 1742 in the Deurganck dock twice per day via the Liefkenshoek rail tunnel underneath the river. From the Zomerweg terminal the service will connect seamlessly with intermodal hinterland links.
The anticipated concentration and growth in container volumes in the Deurganck dock area offers numerous opportunities for the port of Antwerp. If the port is to take maximum advantage of the unique benefits afforded by "a full Deurganck dock" then it must offer the best possible access for all transport modes. The introduction of an intra-port rail shuttle is particularly important in this context, as it provides an efficient, sustainable way of carrying containers from one side of the port to the other.
The port of Antwerp also aims to further play a role as an efficient link in the global supply chain in future. This means that hinterland transport flows have to be organised in a sustainable way. The new IFB service fits in perfectly with this concept, as it is designed to offer a full alternative to road transport: there is no longer any toll on the Liefkenshoek tunnel, and there are no ADR charges to be paid for dangerous goods. Furthermore higher tonnage can be carried within the port area, and only one pin code is needed for checking in or picking up consignments. The Zomerweg terminal operates 24/7, and users can have their own dedicated lane.
"With the LORO service IFB offers the Antwerp port community a reliable rail alternative with high frequency for container transport between the port area on the Right bank and the Deurganck dock on the Left," says Tom Paeshuys, general manager for maritime freight at IFB.
The new rail shuttle is one of the initiatives for further improving trimodal access on the Left Bank of the Scheldt.