Following industry demand, Railport will optimise the first/last mile route by bundling volumes. To that end, they are initially launching a call for shippers, shipping agents and terminals to sign up to participate.
Following industry demand, Railport developed a concept for optimising the first/last mile at Port of Antwerp-Bruges and open it up more widely. Initially, Railport plans to bundle rail volumes to ensure smoother rail transport. This will require shipping agents and forwarders to submit their freight volumes to Railport.
Specifically, the first phase involves a system for facilitating collaboration in port operations for conventional single wagon transport and for block trains. Railport is doing this along with industry and shipping agents. The bundling should lead to increased efficiency and flexibility for all concerned: higher frequencies and more round trips, greater transparency with a good supporting IT system, and finally more cost-efficient production at the port, with a positive impact on the price and on the use of the port infrastructure. The system will lead to improved rail reliability and increased accessibility for smaller and new cargoes.
In the development of the project, Railport is acting as a neutral facilitator taking on the organisation through a tender. The ambition is to prepare the project in 2023 so that bundling can begin in early 2024. This route is part of the ambition of Railport and Port of Antwerp-Bruges to increase rail transport by 15% by 2030.
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