Railway access to the port of Zeebrugge
Every year, approximately 42 million tons of goods are shipped to and from the port of Zeebrugge. In 2010, the sea port handled 26.4 million tons of containers. Over a third of these were transported inland or to other European destinations by rail. It is expected that this number will double by 2020.
This has both advantages and disadvantages for the Bruges region. Many new jobs will be created thanks to the growth of the port of Zeebrugge. On the other hand, more freight will be transported further inland and to other European destinations by road. This will result in more traffic and congestion to and from Zeebrugge. The environment will also face a heavier burden.
In order to ensure that the roads in and around Bruges do not become gridlocked, the government has given Infrabel the task of expanding railway capacity and thus supporting the growth of the port.
The goal is to transport 40% of all containers by rail in the future.
Review the work of the other partners in the context of the port expansion at Zeebrugge at www.zeebruggeopen.be
