{"id":83271,"date":"2024-07-09T20:12:08","date_gmt":"2024-07-09T10:12:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=54247"},"modified":"2024-07-09T20:12:08","modified_gmt":"2024-07-09T10:12:08","slug":"a-new-government-a-new-appeal-from-the-dutch-rail-freight-sector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=83271","title":{"rendered":"A new government, a new appeal from the Dutch rail freight sector"},"content":{"rendered":"

On 2 July, the Netherlands got its new government. Parties involved in Dutch rail freight figured that new leadership may also provide new opportunities, and a branch platform was quick to reach out to the infrastructure ministry\u2019s new officials with its wishlist on 3 July.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>The \u201cPlatform Spoorgoederenvervoer\u201d, or Rail Freight Platform, outlined<\/a> what it considers to be the main issues for rail freight in the Netherlands. The Dutch rail freight sector has not exactly been happy with the previous government\u2019s approach to rail freight, or rather, its lack of an approach<\/a>. For that reason, branch organisation RailGood even celebrated<\/a> when the previous government coalition fell apart. So, the first item on the wishlist is a clear \u201cfuture perspective\u201d that should offer rail freight parties predictability.<\/p>\n

Moreover, the platform calls for the government to implement TEN-T agreements and focus on interoperability. Security systems, such as ERTMS, need to be affordable. At the moment, it will cost the sector hundreds of millions of euros to retrofit locomotives to implement ERTMS. On the most important routes, 740-metre trains need to be facilitated.<\/p>\n