The Rhine–Alpine Rail Freight Corridor, stretching from Rotterdam and Antwerp through Switzerland to Genoa, has set a new cargo throughput record of 200 million tonnes in a single year — a milestone that underscores the growing importance of rail in European supply chains.
The corridor, spanning 1,500 km and crossing four countries, handles everything from automobiles and chemicals to consumer goods and agricultural products. The record comes as European logistics companies increasingly shift from road to rail in response to rising diesel costs and tightening EU emissions regulations on heavy goods vehicles.
The Port of Rotterdam, the corridor’s northern terminus, processed 28% more rail containers in the past year, attributing the growth to improved terminal efficiency and new dedicated freight train slots introduced under the EU Rail Freight Regulation.
