APM Terminals Maasvlakte II plans to raise the frequency of its five-times per week rail freight service between Rotterdam terminal and Venlo, a key logistics hub on the Dutch-German border, to up to 14 times a week over the coming weeks, subject to demand.
Maasvlakte II's head of commercial management Roy De Haan was quoted as saying in a report by Colchester's Seatrade Maritime News: 'The terminal is equipped with a fully automated 500 metre barge berth, offering a reliable and efficient connection between Rotterdam and Venlo,' which is regarded as an ideal inland location for servicing the distribution centres of major retailers.
'With transport times of between six and seven days by barge, the new overnight rail service is very appealing to customers in industries such as fast fashion, where speed to market is an essential competitive advantage,' Mr De Haan said.
Starting as a pilot at the end of 2018, with three rail services per week, the terminal operator already has firm plans to offer eight departures per week from July, and up to 14 departures per week soon after.
'As the rail operator, APM Terminals also has direct influence on both terminals (Maasvlakte II and Cabooter Berick), which enables the company to provide priority loading/discharge for urgent containers. The direct point-to-point service also offers increased reliability as there are no terminal stops that could bring potential delays,' Mr De Haan explained.
'Each rail departure has capacity for 96 TEU, which replaces around 48 trucks on the road. The electrified rail service runs on electricity from renewable sources, providing a clear environmental benefit for customers,' he added.
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Maasvlakte II's head of commercial management Roy De Haan was quoted as saying in a report by Colchester's Seatrade Maritime News: 'The terminal is equipped with a fully automated 500 metre barge berth, offering a reliable and efficient connection between Rotterdam and Venlo,' which is regarded as an ideal inland location for servicing the distribution centres of major retailers.
'With transport times of between six and seven days by barge, the new overnight rail service is very appealing to customers in industries such as fast fashion, where speed to market is an essential competitive advantage,' Mr De Haan said.
Starting as a pilot at the end of 2018, with three rail services per week, the terminal operator already has firm plans to offer eight departures per week from July, and up to 14 departures per week soon after.
'As the rail operator, APM Terminals also has direct influence on both terminals (Maasvlakte II and Cabooter Berick), which enables the company to provide priority loading/discharge for urgent containers. The direct point-to-point service also offers increased reliability as there are no terminal stops that could bring potential delays,' Mr De Haan explained.
'Each rail departure has capacity for 96 TEU, which replaces around 48 trucks on the road. The electrified rail service runs on electricity from renewable sources, providing a clear environmental benefit for customers,' he added.
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