Page 12 - RFC Rhine-Alpine_Annual Report 2016

10 CORRIDOR RHINE-ALPINE – Annual Report 2016
Performance Report
The multiannual chart (Figure 22 ) shows the traffic devel- opment on RFC Rhine-Alpine over the last nine years until 2016. Since 2013 trains crossing the border in Basel with national train numbers have been included as have the train figures of Bad Bentheim; however, a comparison with previous years is not possible in these cases.
Traffic figures for Bad Bentheim, which is a handover sta- tion on RFC North Sea-Baltic, are included from 2013 on to provide a better understanding of the traffic development between the Dutch ports and their hinterland. The main freight connection is the line via Emmerich which is shared with RFC North Sea-Baltic. Due to long-term works for a third track between Emmerich and Oberhausen, trains are rerouted via Venlo and Bad Bentheim.
Traffic Development
In 2016 the overall train figures on RFC Rhine-Alpine out- performed the 2015 results by 1.8 % which is again a fairly good result, especially in view of the difficult market situation for rail freight due to low fuel prices and a weak performance of important industries.
The increase in rail freight was mainly achieved by a shift from road to rail on cross-alpine connections. While truck traffic has shrunk by 3.4% in 2016, rail freight outper- formed the record results of 2015 by a significant 6.4 %. In particular growth in classic wagon load (+ 12 %) and intermodal traffic with trailers, swap bodies and contain- ers (+ 5.2 %) is noteworthy. These increases could over-
compensate the decrease in Rolling Highway (- 6.3 %). The Simplon route took most of the additional traffic load due to the considerable ongoing work on the Gotthard axis.
Ongoing multiannual works between Emmerich and Ober- hausen influenced the development of the hinterland traffic of Dutch sea ports in 2016. Compared to 2015 more trains were rerouted from Emmerich to Venlo and Bad Bentheim. Despite the high relevance of overall decreasing coal trans- port, the overall volumes NL–DE increased slightly by 1.1 %.
Via Montzen (BE/DE) a slight decline of 0.5% had to be recorded due to routing of trains via the Netherlands and the lower output of the chemical industry in Belgium.
“In 2016 the overall train figures on RFC Rhine-Alpine outperformed the 2015 results by 1.8 %.”