Inland waterway congestion grows as river levels fall

North Europe’s inland transport sector could grind to a halt after water levels along the Rhine sink to a point at which navigation is all but impossible, forcing volumes onto an already stretched and insufficient rail and road network.

Sources warned The Loadstar that all four depth gauges on the Rhine were set to fall below navigable levels amid a European heatwave that has resulted in drought.

This will have serious impact on all modalities. With extra trucks headed for terminals in Antwerp and Rotterdam, The Loadstar was told there was significant congestion on the R1, E313, E34 and A12 roads, close to Antwerp, and that terminals had already exceeded storage capacity.

Rail can absorb some of the inland waterway traffic, but capacity is limited.

Sources warn that serious rainfall will be required to get water levels back to where they need to be.

Barge owners said those able to find space on barges should recognise that the vessels would be carrying anywhere from 20% to 60% less cargo than usual.

Source: theloadstar.com