The Hamburg port achieved a 7.3% growth in the container segment in 2025 – much more than Rotterdam (+3.1%) and Antwerp (+0.7%).

TEU versus tonnes

Container growth in Hamburg distinguishes itself even more from Rotterdam when taking volumes into consideration. Yes, there was growth in Rotterdam in terms of TEU, but the tonnage metric fell by 0.2%. “More import containers, lower export volumes due to the weakened European competitiveness, and the decline in transhipment led to increased transhipment of empty containers”, says the Rotterdam port.

By contrast, Hamburg achieved growth in tonnages too – by no less than 4.6%. While the port did not disclose its container tonnage figure for 2025, it likely sits at around 81 million tonnes. Antwerp and Rotterdam still lead the way in Europe with 149.5 and 133.2 million tonnes respectively.

Where does Hamburg’s growth come from? It was Asian exporters in particular that reached Hamburg more and more often. At the same time, policymakers in the White House severely damaged the transatlantic business with their tariffs.

Port zone 6A includes the Petrol, IJsland and Amerika Zuid terminals: all rail connections around the Marshall Dock.

The operator has long driven block trains for Exxon Mobil in zone 6A, but it is now adding single wagonload (SWL) operations to all terminals in the area to its service offering. That means a rail connection between distribution centre Antwerpen-Noord and zone 6A, for which HSL Belgium can move all freight wagons from all possible customers to any terminal.

High quality rail freight

HSL Belgium believes it can boost rail freight efficiency through its takeover of operations. “Thanks to our efficient SWL system, we ensure shorter turnaround times: the customer receives their goods faster and has quicker access to the means of transport (the wagon)”, comments Customer Service Director Thomas Vinck.

“Adding this SWL transport to our service and expertise is a major step forward. This allows us to attract several new customers, many of whom were unfamiliar with us. It’s a unique opportunity to position ourselves in the market as a reliable, flexible railway company that focuses not only on spot trains but also on regular services and complex SWL flows.”

Road to further expansion

The conquest of port zone 6A could function as a jumping pad for further expansion in the port, HSL Belgium says. “If we can make a positive internal analysis of our first months in zone 6A, this new tender would immediately present a great opportunity to further increase our market share”, says CEO Bart Smout.

“Moreover, it would also increase our contribution to the modal shift: the more zones we manage, the more companies we will help reduce their environmental footprint thanks to our sustainable logistics. 2025 was an absolute record year. We expect to continue this success in 2026 and hope for another year full of opportunities and further growth. Given that we will also be celebrating our 10th anniversary in 2026, this would be the icing on the cake.”

Decarbonisation

In 2025, HSL Belgium acquired Belgium’s first-ever hybrid diesel-electric freight locomotive. The company announces that it is continuing its mission to decarbonise its operations with a second hybrid DE18 locomotive now operational.

HSL uses its first DE18 locomotive to transport tank wagons between Antwerpen-Noord an Antwerpen-Petrol for the Exxon refinery. The second DE18 locomotive, taken into use in mid-December, will be used for national connections, including the transport of empty wagons from Antwerp to the sugar refinery in Statte and automotive trains between Montzen and Zeebrugge.

The first RCG-operated train in Belgium departed from Roosendaal, the Netherlands, and arrived in the port of Zeebrugge on 14 October.

International expansion

“With the launch of our operations in Belgium, we are strengthening our position as a leading European rail logistics provider and creating, for the first time, a connection under our own traction to the ports of Zeebrugge and Antwerp. This allows us to offer our customers even more services from a single source and advance the sustainable connectivity of Europe”, said Clemens Först, CEO of ÖBB Rail Cargo Group.

In order to support the company’s international expansion in the Benelux region, RCG is looking to expand its workforce: it needs train drivers that speak French, Dutch and German and a new team lead for the Antwerp office.

In other words, Lineas will now be in charge of rail operations across the whole eastern side of the port of Antwerp. The six zones now controlled by the Belgian company will be Kanaaldokken, Buitenschoor, Bevrijdingsdok,  Oorderen, Old Port, and Oosterweel. The zone 6A will be operated by HSL Belgium. The remaining zones (7,8 and 9) on the western side of the port should remain under the control of Railtraxx.

Lineas’ financial difficulties

If, on the one hand, Lineas’ business seems to be growing, its finances are not doing as well. Last week, the Belgian government approved a loan for 61 million euros to keep the company, struggling financially since the post COVID-19 era, alive. This is the third instalment of financial aid meant for Lineas since 2024, year in which the government increase its stake in the company to 45%. In total, over the past 19 months, the company received over 160 million euros from its shareholders (French investment fund Argos Wityu owns the remaining 55%) and the Belgian regions of Flanders and Wallonia.

Similarly, the Antwerp-Bruges port states that there is relatively little congestion for sea ships, although barges can still encounter problems. The primary issue, according to their Rotterdam counterparts, is with hinterland transport.

Despite the decline of rail’s share in the modal split, Rotterdam says that rail freight is still indispensable resolving those problems. Antwerp also points to “robust infrastructure”, but does not single out rail as a solution for congestion issues.

Ongoing improvements and a role for rail

“In order to continue transporting the increasing flow of containers to the hinterland in an efficient manner, the Port of Rotterdam, [Dutch infrastructure manager] ProRail, and the Ministry of Infrastructure are investing in sustainable and efficient rail development”, the Rotterdam port says. It hopes to achieve sufficient rail capacity, reliable infrastructure and affordable rail usage fees in the Netherlands.

In addition, the APMT and RWG terminals in Rotterdam are currently getting an expansion, which is set to nearly double container capacity. What’s more, a digitisation programme by the name of Rail Connected looks to improve efficiency, transparency, and cooperation in rail freight. It does so through standardised data exchanges between terminals, rail operators, and carriers.

Those steps will contribute to an increase in container handling capacity, but disruptions and volatility will remain. And for that reason, there is no predictable end date for the port congestion. “It is important to make maximum use of the existing port infrastructure to strike a balance between the seaside and the hinterland”, the Rotterdam port adds. It wants to be resilient and have the ability to deal with future disruptions – and rail can play a role in that.

“This is also the case for rail freight transport. In order to offer full transparency to their customers, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and infrastructure manager Infrabel developed and implemented three applications that should make the logistics chain in the port area and on the Belgian rail network run more smoothly.”

RTP Manager

First up is the so-called Rail Trans Port (RTP) Manager. The application shows where a train or wagon is in the logistics process. Subsequently, customers can figure out whether or not their freight is delayed.

“The first version is now being used and finally tested by the two companies and will be gradually opened up to all stakeholders in the rail transport logistics chain (railway companies, terminals, shippers, freight payers, bridge and lock keepers and harbour masters) after the summer of 2025”, explains Infrabel.

In the early stage of the RTP Manager, Infrabel will use it to coordinate the activities of each link in the transport chain better, allowing it to respond more quickly to possible deviations and to monitor and manage the use of rail bundles.

“In the long term, the intention is to further expand RTP Manager with additional functionalities and data such as international monitoring of freight traffic, the use of GPS data (location determination is currently based on information obtained from the rail infrastructure), terminal slots and so on”, the infrastructure manager writes.

Shunting and communication

A second app has been developed specifically for a shunting yard in Antwerp. “Trieerheuvel viewer”, a web application, will allow railway companies to see when their wagons are being shunted and when they are ready for departure.

The third app, dubbed FreightChat, is a communication tool. It is supposed to remove the need for all previous communication channels, such as WhatsApp, email, phone or SMS. “On this application, Infrabel, the port, the railway companies and the end customers can communicate with each other directly and in real time. This concerns communication about incidents, construction sites and all matters that can have an impact on freight transport in the port”, the infrastructure manager explains.

Port industries highlighted

The purpose of this 130 million euro investment is to improve rail operational conditions while resolving several issues simultaneously. The port of Antwerp and its broader area constitute Belgium’s most critical logistical location, home to several industries, the chemical being the most prominent.

Infrabel targets those chemical companies relying heavily on rail and wants to make their life easier. In doing so, the IM will carry out a number of rail upgrade works. For instance, the plan foresees the doubling and electrification of the railway line L11, a project which also includes chemical company BASF and terminal Combinant.

At the same time, the plan also includes renovating the Antwerp North train station, which will be transformed into a freight train assembly location. Antwerp North is vital for single wagonload transport to and from Antwerp and “particularly important for the chemical and steel industries,” according to Infrabel.

More capacity

“The capacity at the port’s terminals is at its limit. There is a need for additional container capacity,” underlined Infrabel. “That is why we are investing in building the new, electrified track bundle West (Verrebroek), and the track configuration of the busy North Sea terminal is being adjusted and expanded,” added the Belgian IM.

On top of that, and to accommodate the maritime container terminals and their rail connections even more, Infrabel will double the port line 221 and remove level crossings to achieve “smoother and safer freight traffic”. The capacity enhancement attempt will be carried out via the Extra Container Capacity Antwerp (ECA), coordinated jointly by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Maatschappij Linkerscheldeoever and the Flemish regional government.

More work against traffic congestion

As mentioned above, Antwerp is probably the busiest logistical location in Belgium. Understandably, increased traffic impacts road infrastructure heavily, resulting in traffic jams and an increased demand for a modal shift to rail. Part of Infrabel’s plans for Antwerp include solutions for this issue, too.

Specifically, Infrabel wants to provide the missing capacity and facilitate the shift to rail by investing in the track bundle in Oorderen, which, according to the IM, is the second most important track bundle on the right bank of the Scheldt-Rhine canal. “Here, we will renew switches and make them electronically (remotely) operable and will also electrify three tracks. These adjustments ensure smoother and faster handling of freight trains,” concluded Infrabel.

Also read:

• Millions in EU subsidies for port of Antwerp rail bridge renovation

• Bottlenecks on Rhine-Alpine Corridor to remain at least until 2030

• Antwerp port area implements new single wagonload operational model

• Rail will have a role in Ghent’s upcoming circular industrial estate

• 12 years, 133 million euros: Zeebrugge presents its new harbour lines

According to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, the European funding is a recognition of the strategic importance of the bridge for smooth rail transport in the area. The EU will cover half of all renovation costs from the Connecting Europe Facility, of which 22,43 million will be allocated to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and half a million euros to Belgian rail manager Infrabel.

Also read:

• More electrified railway lines for southern yard in Port of Antwerp-Bruges
• Infrabel ready to unlock key rail investments with €1 billion loan

Freight players doing business at the port can now enter first and last-mile agreements with the operators mentioned above. The tenders were launched by Railport, the entity in charge of rail activities at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges. The company claims that the initiative came at the request of the industry and will allow for the bundling of wagon deliveries and collections in the port area.

A similar project at Antwerp-North marshalling yard

A similar initiative was launched by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges Port last April at the Antwerp-North marshalling yard. In cooperation with Railpool, Lineas, and Belgian infrastructure manager Infrabel, the project, according to the parties involved, aimed at creating a “level playing field for all”. The facility will utilise each partner’s services and provide a comprehensive package to railway undertakings. Lineas will provide the shunting locomotives and services, while Infrabel and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges will supervise the operational model.

Also read:

• Lineas in-depth: finances, operations and upcoming expansion
• DSV invests in North Sea Port with new pharmaceutical warehouse
• Belgium and Luxembourg aim to double shared rail freight volumes