New historic lows in water levels have been recorded on Rhine in Germany in recent daysraising the prospect of increased disruption to barge traffic and the transfer of freight to rail and road. In its latest service update, tri-modal freight transport operator Contargo said water levels at the Maxau, Kaub, Cologne, and Duisburg gauges continue to decline.
The company warned that should forecasts on watermarks materialise, it may be forced to implement extensive operational measures at short notice. Shipping operations on the Upper Rhine and in the Rhine-Main region have already been suspended. On the Middle Rhine, vessels are currently only operating on a limited basis and only where the safe execution of transport operations can be ensured.
Asked whether there was a risk of inland waterway traffic being suspended on the entire section of the Rhine in Germany, aspokesperson for Contargo told RailFreight.com. “We cannot say as this ultimately depends on each individual vessel operator. Some of Contargo’s vessels can operate in very shallow water.
“Contargo has shifted some of its transport volumes to rail and road. At the moment, for example, we are operating two trains per week between (the German cities of) Wörth and Emmerich,” – a distance of more 400 kilometres, the spokesperson added. Contargo has also temporarily established a land bridge between the Middle Rhine region and Emmelsum/Emmerich.
Demand from liquids, bulk and steel sectors
Last month, DB Cargo announced that around 400 additional wagons could be made available at short notice to support freight transport across various industries hampered by low water levels on Europe’s biggest inland waterway for trade. Some media reports put the figure at 900 wagons. Approached by RailFreight.com to provide an update on the situation and comment on the implementation of the addition al capacity and its impact, a Deutsche Bahn spokesperson replied:
“DB Cargo is responding to increased demand for transport capacity from customers in the Liquids & Bulks business segments (bulk commodities such as mineral oil and coal) as well as in the steel sector. And as announced, is gradually adjusting its wagon fleet capacity. We ask for your understanding that, for competitive reasons, we are unable to provide details on freight volumes or the number of trains.” German rail infrastructure manager DB InfraGO coordinates around 4,500 freight train movements on Germany’s rail network.
“Additional rail (freight) traffic, for example due to the current low water levels, can currently be accommodated within existing operational processes,” the DB spokesperson added.