The Relation Between Port Competition and Hinterland Connections
1 THE RELATION BETWEEN PORT COMPETITION AND HINTERLAND CONNECTIONS THE CASE OF THE ‘IRON RHINE’ AND THE ‘BETUWEROUTE’ Hilde Meersman, Tom Pauwels, Eddy Van de Voorde and Thierry Vanelslander Department of Transport and Regional Economics University of Antwerp, Prinsstraat 13, B-2000 Antwerp, Belgium Abstract This paper discusses the relationship between port competition and hinterland connections. The analysis presented is based on expected trends in maritime transport and the likely consequences for seaports. The inauguration of the Betuweroute in 2007 offered the port of Rotterdam additional rail capacity to Germany. The port of Antwerp, meanwhile, is pressing for the reactivation of the Iron Rhine, a direct rail link to that same German hinterland. Research has shown capacity to be the key to success, both in maritime throughput and in hinterland transportation services. Keywords Port competition , hinterland connection, capacity, Iron Rhine, Betuweroute 1. Introduction Within the Hamburg-Le Havre range, the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam are engaged in a competitive struggle involving two railway lines to the German hinterland. In 2007, the Netherlands inaugurated the so-called Betuweroute, connecting Rotterdam with the Ruhr Area in Germany. Belgium, for its part, intends to reactivate the Iron Rhine, an existing line between Antwerp and the Ruhr. So here we have two transport projects to the same destination zone: a perfect illustration of how port competition can manifest itself on the battlefield of hinterland transportation. In
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