We look back on a successful edition of the World Port Days: “Rail Freight, The Future is Ours!”

This year, we also organized 3 successful excursions in which visitors had the opportunity to discover the port from a rail perspective. Together with over 100 visitors, divided over 3 excursions, we explored the port area to visit Bertschi Rotterdam, Locomotive Workshop Rotterdam, and In2Waste Solutions.

Rail in the Port of Rotterdam

The Port of Rotterdam is known for its maritime transport and impressive ships. During the rail excursions, we introduced the public to rail in the Port of Rotterdam and demonstrated how this mode of transportation seamlessly integrates into the logistics network. Many people were unaware that rail transport is the most sustainable way to transport goods from point A to point B. This is because locomotives are electrically powered and one train can transport as much as 50 trucks. This not only efficiently transports enormous amounts of goods but also significantly contributes to avoiding traffic congestion.

An exciting journey through the Locomotive Workshop Rotterdam

CEO of Locomotive Workshop Rotterdam, Olaf Kuijper, opened the workshop for electric locomotives to the public. Olaf: “Did you know that these iron giants have to make a pitstop every 30,000 km to be thoroughly inspected? In this impressive environment, technical gadgets, wheels, safety measures, and brakes are examined.” Additionally, locomotives from various rail freight companies, including LTE, Rail Force One, and Captrain, were present in the workshop. These companies gave us insight into the complex world of rail freight transport: where the trains go and what cargo they carry.

A unique behind-the-scenes look at the Bertschi Terminal

Visitors were able to see how Bertschi’s daily operations work and how they prioritize safety. Additionally, during this excursion, ProRail and VolkerRail explained the process of realizing the Theemswegtracé and other rail projects in the port area.

Circularity in the rail sector at IN2Waste Solutions

Lastly, visitors were able to learn more about circularity at IN2Waste Solutions. In collaboration with ProRail, visitors were able to discover how the rail sector deals with circularity. “When constructing and maintaining the railway, we increasingly look at the reusability of materials, so that in the future we no longer have waste but instead have our materials efficiently reused either by ourselves or the market,” said Katja Nelissen, Circular Ambassador at ProRail. Within the infrastructure guidelines, ProRail investigates possibilities for reuse in various areas, including the reuse of switches, the development of modular, circular buildings along the railway, recycling and reusing rail tracks, and making sleepers more sustainable.

The Port of Rotterdam has created a great vlog about this. Watch how Mirte is immersed in the fascinating world of resource transition and metal recycling:

“Train Driver. One of the most beautiful professions that exist.”

As a highlight of the event, we organized a visit to the Bertschi Terminal and the Locomotive Workshop with STC (Shipping and Transport College Rotterdam) for students from the Train Engineer program. They were able to get a taste of what it is like to work as a Train Engineer in freight transportation. Rail Freight, The Future is Ours! Deborah Boegheim, Rail Instructor at STC, emphasized: “We are extremely happy with the connection that Rail Cargo makes with our students, as they represent the future of the railway. During the World Port Days, our students had the unique opportunity to literally take a look inside the locomotives of companies such as Captrain and Rail Force One.” For students who have only been studying for four days, this was a particularly tangible experience, where they could taste the life of a train engineer. Deborah continues: “In contrast to passenger transport and international transportation, I believe that freight transportation is an unknown world for many, but it is exactly here where train engineers are most intensively engaged in their profession. Train Engineer is one of the most beautiful professions that exist.”