New rail links to improve transport in Ghent and Terneuzen canal zone
The Belgian and Dutch federal governments have unanimously voted in favour of supporting infrastructure works to the rail line that links the ports of Ghent and Terneuzen
Passenger trains could be next
The border-crossing rail line is used to transport goods, but the Rail Gent Terneuzen project would also see options sought for passenger rail travel for residents of the areas.
All of the rail transport in the Flemish/Dutch border area happens via a single track, which leads to bottlenecks. Any disruption along the track means that goods can get stuck in transit, with port businesses forced to wait for them to arrive. What’s more, a missing link means that the rail line is not a complete loop.
The track also crosses bridges that sometime must open to allow water freight traffic through, and trains coming from one direction do not have a rail link to be able to cross one of the major bridges. And while demand means that more trains need to run more regularly, the track runs through a residential area in Terneuzen, where increasing freight traffic is impossible.
Both countries have chosen to support the further development of the North Sea Port, which employs some 100,000 people
All of this undermine the port’s competitiveness as well as the competitiveness of the companies located there. The European Commission provided half of the funding (€650,000) to carry out several studies into options for infrastructural changes and the impacts each would have on the surrounding areas.
With the approval of the two federal parliaments, works can now begin on the €200 million project. “Both countries have chosen to support the further development of the North Sea Port, home to 525 companies and employing some 100,000 people,” said Kurt Moens of the East Flanders provincial council.
The government resolution also gave the go-ahead to begin a study on passenger transport between the border areas. Some 700,000 people live in the municipalities that skirt the port areas and have limited public transport options.
The North Sea Port is the third-largest port in Europe in terms of added value (€14 billion). For shipping tons, it’s in Europe’s top 10.
Photo courtesy North Sea Port
