Inland shipping claims bigger slice of modal pie
In the crisis year 2009, inland shipping strengthened its position in the hinterland transport of containers, with its share in the modal split of the port of Rotterdam rising from 30% to 33%. The last time such a large gain was recorded was in the previous century. Rail transport declined from 13% to 11% and is back at the 2006 level. Road transport moved back from 57% to 56%. The total volume of hinterland transport dropped 12% from 7.82 million TEU in 2008 to 6.87 million TEU in 2009. 755,000 TEU was transported by rail, a drop of 25% compared with 1.01 million TEU in 2008. Barges moved 2.27 million TEU, 3% less than the 2.34 million TEU in 2008. Truck volumes dropped 14% from 4.48 million to 3,84 million TEU. Rail transport either would not or could not adapt its tariffs fast enough to the declining total volume. The Betuwe Route tariffs were reduced only in late-2009. Apart from inland shipping and trucking being more flexible in their tariffs when there is an oversupply in transport capacity, inland shipping took advantage of the improved handling capacity at the deep sea terminals. Road transport suffered relatively more during the crisis because it transports the vast majority of ro-ro containers. This intra-European traffic was hit harder by the economic decline. The future growth of container handling takes place at the large terminals in the western part of the port. From 2013, terminals at Maasvlakte 2 will come into operation. Here and on the present Maasvlakte, the goal is to realise a modal split in 2035 of 45% for inland shipping, 20% for rail and 35% for road. The Dutch government and the Port of Rotterdam are pursuing a policy aimed at decreasing the share of road haulage; the accomplishment of a modal shift. Since 1993, the trucking’s share has declined from 66% (4.2 million TEU) to around 50% (9.7 million TEU). Quelle: eyefortransport |