Low Rhine water level driving barge cargo to capacity-strained road and rail

Terminals at Antwerp and Rotterdam are coming under growing pressure as unseasonably low water along the Rhine continues to restrict container barge movements on the river, with cargo being pushed towards already-constrained rail and road networks.

SeasC4U’s Gunther Ginckels told The Loadstar barges around Duisburg-Ruhrort were operating at roughly two-thirds of normal capacity, while vessels further upstream were carrying substantially smaller loads.

“Some services are suspended further upstream on the Kaub gauge, where low water has severely restricted navigation, while large volumes are being shifted to rail and truck, but alternative capacity is limited,” said Mr Ginckels.

“Cargo is still moving, but carrying capacity is sharply reduced, transport costs have risen, transit times are longer and less predictable, while inland terminals, rail networks, and trucking markets are absorbing displaced cargo at higher cost and delays.”

Some 35% of box movements along the Dutch hinterland tend to travel by inland waterway, meaning that even seeing a part of that traffic transferred to alternative modes piles massive pressure onto already constrained transport networks.

Back in August, Metro Global stated that more than 200 trucks would be required to replace lost barge capacity, and while low water levels have become part and parcel of the Rhine’s summer months in recent years, the persisting into October presented additional problems.

One source told The Loadstar: “The low waters and the additional congestion this places on rail and road infrastructure in the summer is a strain, but the with schools out and people on holiday, it is manageable. The same cannot be said for October.”

The rail operators are reportedly experiencing the biggest difficulties, with sharp increases in demand in the Rhine-Main leaving at least one intermodal operator’s train services fully booked for what Mr Ginckels said was “weeks”.

He warned that rail infrastructure was not sufficient to readily absorb all the displaced cargo, citing shortages of suitable train paths, wagons, locomotives, and drivers, and while noting that road transport offered greater flexibility, he said capacity there was also tight.

“In some affected areas, road transport is becoming the only practical alternative, because rail is already full, and even with trucks being used extensively, there is reportedly insufficient capacity for 15% to 30% of affected cargo volumes,” Mr Ginckels continued.

“Finding replacement truck capacity can take up to two weeks, while securing rail capacity may require up to six weeks’ advance notice. Even after water levels recover, logistics experts estimate it may take up to 10 days for vessel schedules to normalise.”

For terminal operators, a shift back to barges could provoke a new bout of congestion, as the arrival of delayed vessels in close succession could then create further blockages at both Rotterdam and Antwerp.

A spokesperson for the port of Rotterdam told The Loadstar it was not currently seeing any disruption to its services and that the port remained fully operational with the flow of goods continuing as normal.

“The effects are mainly visible further inland, where low water levels have a greater direct impact on the navigability of rivers and canals. That said, we see that the total volume of inland waterway transport remains reasonably stable compared with last year.”

Although sources said terminals had implemented a “one teu in, one teu out” policy for the barges and trains making their way to the terminals with containers, demanding they take away an equivalent number to those discharged.

This condition of discharge is reportedly applicable for full and empty containers, but sources say the restriction is only complicating container flows and adding to barge waiting times – although neither Antwerp nor Rotterdam had yet to confirm the rule to The Loadstar.

Mr Ginckels said the situation was now “one of the most serious Rhine navigation disruptions since the historic low-water events of 2018″.

“The strongest effects are those being felt down in southern Germany, Switzerland, and the Upper Rhine corridor.”