Western Seaports Conference aims to revitalize hinterland transport

DB Schenker Rail launches a European production and transport control system and consolidates cooperation with maritime partners

Rotterdam - At the latest Western Seaports Conference in Rotterdam, DB Schenker Rail launched a project for the establishment of a European production and transport control system. This means that production management, transport monitoring and related customer information, which is currently handled by the individual national companies, will in future be coordinated on an international scale and one-stop. Speaking at the conference, which attracts high-ranking representatives of the maritime transport industry every year, Karsten Sachsenröder, Member of the DB Schenker Rail Management Board for Sales, explained: “This paves the way for harmonized Europe-wide support of rail-bound logistics for our customers”.

The objective of the conference delegates is to revitalize combined transport to and from the Dutch and Belgian seaports in a concerted effort by diverse actors, such as shipowners, forwarders, port authorities, intermodal operators and maritime shippers, with the aim of improving seaport hinter¬land transport. This will involve, for example, consultation between the players regarding planned quantities to enable more effective response to fluctuating transport volumes or even imminent capacity bottlenecks.

The Rotterdam Port Authority expects to see a sharp increase in total throughput over the next few decades. “Good hinterland connections are vital if we are to cope with this growth efficiently, quickly and ecologically,” comments Hans Smits, Chief Executive of the authority. “Accordingly, we need to have effective and competitive rail freight transportation, especially in view of our modal shift ambitions.”

Finally, the conference delegates agreed on a joint “Rail Agenda for Growth”, which envisages that the members will continue to meet all year round in additional working groups on the subjects of “Modal Shift Ambitions towards rail in the West Ports” and “Green Logistics”. They also agreed to present the progress that has been made at the next Western Seaports Conference in 2011.