The Dutch shippers association evofenedex is happy with the government’s decision to invest 30 million euros in single wagonload (SWL) operations at rail yard Kijkfhoek, close to Rotterdam. It sees the investment as an important signal that SWL has a future in the Netherlands.
The 30 million euro investment should help suppress costs, lead to reliable and more sustainable freight flows and support ports and industries, according to infrastructure state secretary Thierry Aartsen.
“Kijfhoek plays a crucial role in the distribution of goods from the ports to industrial zones in the Netherlands and Europe”, Aartsen stated. “With this impulse, we’re making rail freight safer, more efficient and more attractive for companies.”
evofenedex says that SWL is important for Dutch shippers, but that it is under pressure and that there are concerns for its future. “Single wagonload traffic was in danger of disappearing from the Netherlands”, the association says.
Neutral shunting offering
For that reason, evofedenex has been lobbying for investments in SWL. The current investment will prevent a decline in the supply of rail transport services and a reverse modal shift, it says.
Among the plans for Kijfhoek is a neutral shunting offering, which is now in the hands of DB Cargo. Broader accessibility to shunting services should make SWL available to various operators, which will give shippers more options to use rail freight, says evofenedex.
“This decision is good news for shippers that transport smaller volumes via rail”, commented evofenedex policy advisor Geert van Eijk. “With the investment in Kijfhoek, it will remain possible to flexibly and sustainably use the railways, without freight flows being forced onto the road.”