Rail operators take a unique step towards closer cooperation on the Port Railway Line in Rotterdam

Six rail operators – Rail Force One, HSL Netherlands, DB Cargo Nederland, RTB Cargo, LTE and Rail Cargo Group – have signed an agreement, led by the Port of Rotterdam Authority, to improve operational cooperation on the Port Railway Line. Under this so-called shunting agreement, rail operators – who together account for 70% of the market – can take over each other’s journeys at fixed rates in the event of capacity issues. This form of cooperation is intended to prevent train cancellations and long delays. Furthermore, this collaboration ensures that a contingency plan is immediately available in the event of deviations from the standard timetables, enabling trains to be taken over quickly. Terminals benefit because their tracks are cleared in good time even in the event of disruptions, allowing scheduled trains to run as planned. The partnership, known as ‘Track Together’, will launch on 1 April 2026 as a seven-month pilot scheme. If the programme proves successful, it will be continued on a permanent basis.

A shunting agreement is essential to providing clarity and certainty to all parties involved when carrying out work on the entire Port Railway Line – from Kijfhoek to the Maasvlakte and vice versa, including all intermediate stations and terminals. The agreement sets out how trains are to be transferred, both administratively and physically, and the respective responsibilities of both the principal and the contractor. The shunting agreement thus forms the basis for safe, efficient and effective cooperation throughout the port area.

‘Track Together strengthens cooperation between rail operators in the port of Rotterdam. By sharing information more effectively, the platform helps to ensure more efficient operations and a more reliable rail network for all stakeholders’, said Jordy Hermes, Product Design Specialist at LTE.

Martin van der Linden, Production Manager at HSL, adds that ‘Track Together will enable transport operators to collaborate more efficiently via the platform in the event of disruptions at the port of Rotterdam, thereby ensuring better utilisation of capacity’.

Journeys are booked via the specially developed ‘PortFlow’ app. The app was developed by RailApp with the support of the Port of Rotterdam Authority and the Topcorridors programme. During the pilot period, the app developer, the Port Authority and the rail operators will meet monthly to review the collaboration. This is the first time that various rail operators have collaborated in this way in the port of Rotterdam.