Inland shipping

Inland shipping, or barge transport, is becoming an increasingly popular mode of transport in Europe. Inland shipping is environmentally friendly, reliable and cost efficient. The Netherlands has an excellent natural infrastructure for waterborne transport and holds the largest market share in inland shipping in Europe. 

The European Union’s waterway network of rivers and canals spans over 35,000 kilometers and connects popular industrial destinations, for example in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Luxemburg, Austria and Switzerland. As a result of road traffic congestion, rising oil prices, government policies on reducing CO2 emissions and industrial modernization, inland shipping is becoming increasingly popular in Europe. 

While waterborne transport is generally slower than road transport, the ample capacity still available on the water means that there is no congestion and makes it more reliable. Modern technology and planning techniques combined with the growing network of intermodal terminals make inland shipping an ideal component of an integrated transport system.  Another competitive advantage of inland shipping is the ability to provide low-cost buffer stock storage combined with on-time delivery. 

Approximately 10% of the European waterway network is located in the Netherlands. The Rhine, Maas and Waal rivers offer ideal connections between the Port of Rotterdam and the hinterlands.

As multiple transport modes (water and road) are usually necessary to reach the final destination, access to an inland transshipment terminal is essential for efficient inland shipping. Direct access to an inland terminal reduces the need to use road transport and minimizes total transportation cost. There are approximately 3,500 industrial zones in the Netherlands, of which around 250 (7%) have direct access to an inland terminal. As the number of inland terminals in the Netherlands continues to grow, the inland shipping network is becoming denser, making inland shipping increasingly attractive for transportation across short distances.