New Rotterdam rail terminal for Bertschi

Construction will start in December, and the first phase is expected to be in operation by June 2007. Three 450 m tracks will be worked by a gantry crane to handle up to four train arrivals and departures a day, and the terminal will have a throughput capacity of 120,000 teu. Bertschi will run a first train connection from the terminal to Italy by mid-2007. Total investment in the first phase is €10m.

The site, along the Merseyweg and close to the Britanniehaven dock, is located near a number of chemical facilities, which are Bertschi’s main business target. The terminal will have a storage capacity of up to 1,250 teu, including facilities for storing hazardous cargo. Bertschi specialises in rail and short-sea transport but, as volumes at the new terminal rise, expects to handle more deep-sea traffic originating in the Middle East.