The project is scheduled to start in 2025 and be operational by mid-2027. It is part of a wider effort to expand rail freight capacity and support sustainable logistics at the port.
The Port of Rotterdam Authority and Swietelskyrail Benelux BV have signed a contract for the construction of a six-track bundle for 740-metre trains at the new Maasvlakte-Zuid yard.
Over the next few years, container handling in the port of Rotterdam will continue to grow. In order to continue to efficiently transport the growing flow of containers to the hinterland, the Port of Rotterdam Management, ProRail and the Ministry of Public Works and Water Management are investing in the sustainable and efficient development of the railways. Part of the Port Authority’s efforts to promote rail freight is the construction of the Maasvlakte-Zuid rail yard.
The project has been developed in close cooperation with ProRail. It has received a grant from the European Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). The construction of Swietelsky will start in spring 2025, with the start of operations in mid-2027. In order to facilitate the growth of rail freight from the Maasvlakte to the European hinterland, the construction of the yard is necessary. It is designed to solve the capacity bottleneck.
The development of the rail yard will help the Port of Rotterdam to reduce CO₂ emissions from hinterland and continental transport by 30% by 2030, in line with the climate agreement. The Port Authority expects an additional 6,750 train combinations per year between Maasvlakte and the hinterland as a result of the further development of the yard. This corresponds to replacing 675,000 lorry journeys.
The Port Rail Logistics Vision 2050 has been drawn up by the Port of Rotterdam Authority and ProRail. This plan shows future capacity bottlenecks on the port railway and how they can be solved. In the period up to 2040, a number of infrastructure projects are planned that will improve rail access to Maasvlakte and optimize the logistics process and make it more sustainable.