Deutsche Bahn AG and the Port of Rotterdam Authority intend to work together more closely. This was agreed by the two companies in a Letter of Intent signed yesterday by Dr. Norbert Bensel, Chairman of the Transportation and Logistics Division of Deutsche Bahn AG, and Hans Smits, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, at Deutsche Bahn’s headquarters in Berlin.
A key focus of the cooperation will be to improve the Port of Rotterdam’s hinterland connections. Smits: “Despite enormous investments in our infrastructure, the existing resources alone will not be sufficient to handle growing freight volumes. That means we have to make better use of existing resources. This will only be possible by intensifying cooperation across transport chains, because a port’s success is dependent on the capabilities of the hinterland connections.” Bensel said, “Our Intermodal Business Unit, Europe’s leading company in combined transport services, and the largest port in Europe are natural partners here. Together we will optimize hinterland connections; it is precisely this long-distance hinterland traffic that can be bundled which enables rail to maximize its advantages and bring more traffic to environmentally-friendly rail.” Dr. Sebastian Jürgens, Head of the DB Intermodal Business Unit, added: “In Hamburg, rail has a modal split of 32 percent, whereas in the case of the Port of Rotterdam, it is currently only 11 percent. We still have a lot of room above that figure, and want to exploit this potential with new coordinated services, such as the creation of new hub and spoke concepts.” The partners also agreed to improve the exchange of data, in order to harmonize long-term forecasts and improve the interlinking of operational processes.
The Port of Rotterdam is Germany’s most important port in terms of freight handling both to and from Germany. Rotterdam was the first European port to break through the 400-million metric ton barrier, with a cargo throughput of 406 million metric tons in 2007.
DB Schenker, the brand of the Transportation and Logistics Division of Deutsche Bahn AG, provides logistics competence, integrated networks and rail expertise from a single source. With 1,500 company locations in 150 countries, DB Schenker is one of the world’s leading providers of transportation and logistics services. The Transportation and Logistics Division comprises five business units – Land Transport, Air/Ocean Freight, Contract Logistics/SCM, Rail Freight and Intermodal.
A key focus of the cooperation will be to improve the Port of Rotterdam’s hinterland connections. Smits: “Despite enormous investments in our infrastructure, the existing resources alone will not be sufficient to handle growing freight volumes. That means we have to make better use of existing resources. This will only be possible by intensifying cooperation across transport chains, because a port’s success is dependent on the capabilities of the hinterland connections.” Bensel said, “Our Intermodal Business Unit, Europe’s leading company in combined transport services, and the largest port in Europe are natural partners here. Together we will optimize hinterland connections; it is precisely this long-distance hinterland traffic that can be bundled which enables rail to maximize its advantages and bring more traffic to environmentally-friendly rail.” Dr. Sebastian Jürgens, Head of the DB Intermodal Business Unit, added: “In Hamburg, rail has a modal split of 32 percent, whereas in the case of the Port of Rotterdam, it is currently only 11 percent. We still have a lot of room above that figure, and want to exploit this potential with new coordinated services, such as the creation of new hub and spoke concepts.” The partners also agreed to improve the exchange of data, in order to harmonize long-term forecasts and improve the interlinking of operational processes.
The Port of Rotterdam is Germany’s most important port in terms of freight handling both to and from Germany. Rotterdam was the first European port to break through the 400-million metric ton barrier, with a cargo throughput of 406 million metric tons in 2007.
DB Schenker, the brand of the Transportation and Logistics Division of Deutsche Bahn AG, provides logistics competence, integrated networks and rail expertise from a single source. With 1,500 company locations in 150 countries, DB Schenker is one of the world’s leading providers of transportation and logistics services. The Transportation and Logistics Division comprises five business units – Land Transport, Air/Ocean Freight, Contract Logistics/SCM, Rail Freight and Intermodal.