As of 10 January 2022, the North Sea – Baltic rail freight corridor (RFC NS-B) extends to Medyka (Poland) and the ports of Ghent and Zeebrugge (Belgium) as a principal line and to the port of Terneuzen (Netherlands) as a connecting line [1].
These extensions will:
- provide direct access to the ports of Ghent, Terneuzen [2] and Zeebrugge,
- bring new business opportunities to RFC NS-B,
- improve the land bridge between Europe and Asia in the context of growing traffic between East and West,
- ensure a better interconnection between Eastern and Western European countries and between different corridors.
The extension in the western part of the corridor represents a vital artery for the ports involved and is supported through further development by Infrabel and ProRail. This extension is of strategic importance for companies who wish to transport their goods in a safe and efficient manner and also contributes to modal shift to rail. Reliable rail freight services, accessible to all, are the way forward and are beneficial for both the environment and the economy.
The extension of the corridor to Medyka is another step on the way to improving rail transport to the East and to Asian countries, increasing the transport potential of this corridor and expanding the transport offering and thereby aligning with the diversification strategy of PKP PLK S.A. These corridor extensions also respond to customer expectations and demonstrate cooperation between numerous stakeholders.
The RFC NS-B project aims to improve the attractiveness and efficiency of rail freight by providing a seamless, high-quality path offering along the corridor. From now on, capacity can be requested on these new lines via the Corridor One Stop Shop, the single contact point for all corridor requests.
More about the North Sea – Baltic rail freight corridor
The RFC NS-B was established on 10 November 2015 in accordance with Regulation (EU) 913/2010 concerning a European rail network for competitive freight. The corridor runs through eight EU Member States, starting in the ports of Antwerp, North Sea Port (Ghent/Terneuzen), Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Wilhelmshaven, Bremerhaven and Hamburg, crossing central Germany through Aachen, Hannover, Magdeburg and Berlin to Warsaw and the Polish-Belarussian border in Terespol. A branch leads from Magdeburg to Prague via Falkenberg and Dresden. The southern branch in Poland to Wrocław, Katowice and Medyka starts in Falkenberg. Another branch goes from Warsaw to Kaunas, then to Riga and Tallinn.
The RFC NS-B comprises more than 9,600 km of railway lines and connects the most important North Sea ports with Central Europe and the Baltic States, providing a rail bridge between Eastern and Western Europe.
The RFC NS-B infrastructure comprises:
- 5,253 km of principal lines,
- 2,552 km of diversionary lines,
- 891 km of connecting lines,
- 960 km of expected principal and diversionary lines,
- 257 terminals
- 14 seaports: Antwerp, North Sea Port, Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Wilhelmshaven, Bremerhaven, Hamburg, Riga, Ventspils, Liepāja, Paldiski, Muuga and Sillamäe.
(Source: PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A.)
