From 30 August 2021, freight trains will temporarily cross the Botlek Bridge. Optimisations still need to be made before the final commissioning of the track. This will require a number of closures for rail traffic and shipping. We are working hard on a schedule. As soon as it is ready, we will inform the parties involved. All work on the track is expected to be completed early next year.
Rust running and optimisations
Among other things, the trains go over the bridge to ‘rust ride’ them. A train runs over the track every day to ensure that there is no rust and a reliable timetable is possible. The optimisations involve the drawing of cables to replace the temporary lighting with permanent ones. In addition, the wooden planks that now serve as platforms will be replaced with steel grates and rail frames will be replaced.
Testing
Over the past few months we have tested the new track on the Botlek Bridge by driving over it with various trains. We have also simulated several situations to see if the various systems and organisations work well together.
Because the bridge still needs a lot of work, it will be out of service for train traffic and shipping several times in the near future. We realise that this is very annoying for many companies because it causes a lot of inconvenience. We are doing everything we can to limit this inconvenience as much as possible.
Poll
Poll 2: are being overtaken by other modalities
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Do you have questions about the initiative Rail Freight, The Future is Ours? Would you like to become an ambassador? Or are you considering transporting goods by rail? Then please contact us. Leave a message with your details and we will contact you within 2 working days.