NETHERLANDS: State Secretary at the Ministry of Infrastructure & Environment Sharon Dijksma has approved plans by the Port of Rotterdam Authority and ProRail to reroute 4·5 km of the harbour railway serving Europoort to avoid the Caland Bridge.
This would avoid delays to freight trains when the vertical lift road and rail bridge dating from 1969 is raised to allow ships to pass. It will also will also provide more rail capacity to support an expected increase in traffic to and from the Brittanniëhaven.
The new 4 km alignment would run parallel to Theemsweg from Merseyweg to Moezelweg, rejoining the existing track where it meets the A15. The railway will be elevated to avoid flat crossings with roads, cables and pipelines, and will be surrounded by 1·7 m high barriers to reduce noise levels.
The project is to be funded by the Port of Rotterdam Authority, government and the European Union, with completion scheduled for 2021.
