The Port of Amsterdam will be connected to the Betuweroute, a dedicated cargo rail track towards Germany and into Europe. The railway connection to the Betuweroute near Meteren/Geldermalsen, which is intended for the city of Amsterdam, begins operation this week.
"With our bulk the Amsterdam port provides a large volume of cargo to Germany. Rail is a wonderful modality compared to road transport and a great supplement to inland navigation," said Port of Amsterdam's president and CEO Dertje Meijer.
The first train to use the connection was a DB Schenker train destined for Plochingen in Germany. The number of trains using the Betuweroute has increased considerably: by the end of 2010 about 350 freighters will be hitting the Betuweroute on a weekly basis.