{"id":444936,"date":"2026-06-03T18:30:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T08:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=71525"},"modified":"2026-06-03T18:30:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T08:30:22","slug":"rotterdam-blockades-international-rail-freight-industry-appeals-to-dutch-ministry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=444936","title":{"rendered":"Rotterdam blockades: international rail freight industry appeals to Dutch ministry"},"content":{"rendered":"

The rail freight industry, represented by the European Combined Transport association UIRR and the Dutch association RailGood, has appealed to the Netherlands\u2019 infrastructure ministry for support. With a letter addressed directly to Minister Vincent Karremans, they hope to draw attention to the destructive blockades in the Rotterdam port.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>The two organisations sent their letter on Friday 29 May. It marks a new low point in the situation surrounding climate change and pro-Palestine protests in the Rotterdam port. Those have severely disrupted rail freight operations in recent weeks.<\/p>\n

Expectedly, the rail freight industry is surprised to be targeted by climate activists in light of its role as the most sustainable mode of transportation. The blockades in the Rotterdam port cause delays, cancellations and supply chain disruptions. This leads to a loss of market confidence, which ultimately leads to a modal shift back to the road and a setback in sustainability goals, the industry has observed.<\/p>\n

It should come as no surprise that the rail freight industry is hoping for official measures to relieve the pressure. “The sector urges the Dutch authorities to take responsibility and the right actions to avoid even more disruptions”, UIRR Director General Ralf-Charley Schultze tells RailFreight.com. “With all the current geopolitical and infrastructure crises, the shippers need the best possible quality and punctuality on the railways, as essential part of their supply chains.”<\/p>\n

The activists are planning their return<\/h2>\n

The mayor of Rotterdam, together with the police and public prosecutor, has been reluctant to prohibit the protests for understandable reasons: the right to protest is a vital public good. At the same time, these protests are proving to be destructive to rail freight in the port. Unauthorised entry onto the railways is also prohibited by law.<\/p>\n

Infrastructure manager ProRail earlier told RailFreight.com that damages range between 100,000 and 250,000 euros per hour of blockade. This would mean that the blockades, led by the \u201cGeef Tegengas\u201d collective, have already caused millions of euros in losses over the course of 10 days of protests.<\/p>\n

There have been no protests on the Rotterdam port railway in the past two weeks. However, Geef Tegengas has already indicated that they plan to return on 27 June.<\/p>\n