The Dutch Rail Congress 2025 took place on Thursday 3 April in Rotterdam. Among the interviewees were Berte Simons, COO of the Rotterdam port, as well as Marieke Schoningh, Simons’ counterpart at infrastructure manager ProRail. Amid global turmoil, the key question for them to answer revolved around dealing with uncertainty.
Simons, who has been in her function for less than a hundred days, was quick to note the importance of rail for the Port of Rotterdam. “I have heard the word ‘rail’ every day since I started working as COO”, she said. With uncertainties abound, it is important to secure the country’s future earning capacity, according to Simons.
“That means that goods need to be able to reach the hinterland, but we also need to become climate neutral and resilient”, she noted. Resilience means that Dutch rail needs to be able to recover quickly if something bad were to happen. That idea has quickly become a priority in the context of military mobility, which is now a hot topic.
But, Simons said, “what is good for defense, infrastructure and energy security, is also good for rail freight and commercial activities”. A robust and reliable rail network is vital. From the political side of things, the most important contribution to providing a sense of security is long-term budgeting, argued Simons.
Uncertainties are opportunities
ProRail’s COO Marieke Schoningh sees Dutch rail losing market share to other countries, the road and through other ports. “That is a shame. We shouldn’t want that.” However, on the bright side, she claimed to see only opportunities. Schoningh concurred with Simons’ view on defense and rail: “Our ministries should also see it as an opportunity. What is good for defense is good for rail freight”, she said. Within that framework, the Netherlands will have to invest in rail and make a large number of stations and lines compatible with 740-metre trains.
Nevertheless, there is also a sense of pessimism. “I am concerned about the shrinking freight volumes, especially in bulk and coal”, Schoningh said. “The level playing field with the road remains a point of attention, we do not have that yet.”
Another aspect is the quality of ProRail’s service. “We need reliable infrastructure. ProRail does not have that yet to a sufficient degree, but we are working hard on it.” Schoningh pointed out that there is a downward trend in terms of disruptions, but maintenance and modernisations are still necessary. The short conclusion is: ProRail needs money and manpower, but it’s on the right track.