Zeebrugge (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A new rail line links Zeebrugge’s PA terminal and Antwerp’s North Sea Terminal, run by PSA Antwerp, moving 26,000 containers yearly and boosting eco-friendly freight transport in Belgium.
As VRT News reported, the new rail line between Zeebrugge, a municipality in Bruges, in the province of West Flanders, Belgium, and Antwerp ports is a big deal for Belgium’s freight transport. This line connects Zeebrugge’s PA terminal with Antwerp’s Noordzee Terminal, allowing trains to move goods between the ports.
PSA Antwerp, part of PSA International, runs the line. Officials mentioned that it makes moving containers and cargo easier, reducing the need for trucks. They said that trains help cut down on traffic, speed up delivery times, and make logistics better.
Is the Zeebrugge-Antwerp rail link improving freight?
The rail line is a good example of “sustainable hinterland connectivity,” according to PSA. They want to move goods in an eco-friendly and efficient way. Hinterland connectivity connects ports to places inland, like distribution centres. PSA mentioned that using trains instead of trucks on this route cuts down on carbon emissions and pollution.
According to officials, there wasn’t much demand for a direct rail line between Zeebrugge and Antwerp ports recently, as trucks were mainly used for freight. But with more traffic and problems on the roads, the container market needed better and greener options. So, the rail service between the 2 ports started again, running 3 times a week.
They mentioned that it’s a practical and eco-friendly way to move goods, helping roads and providing a reliable solution. The rail line should handle about 26,000 containers each year, moving freight from trucks to trains.
PSA Antwerp runs the rail link and manages three big container terminals in the Port of Antwerp: North Sea Terminal, Europe Terminal, and MSC PSA European Terminal. These terminals are some of the biggest and most advanced in Europe, handling a lot of the port’s container traffic. North Sea Terminal serves important shipping lines and handles many types of cargo.
Europe Terminal connects inland Europe by rail, barge, and road. MSC PSA European Terminal, a partnership between PSA and MSC, is for container ships. By connecting these terminals to Zeebrugge with the new rail line, PSA Antwerp increases capacity, speeds up service, and helps container handling grow sustainably.
Lailuma Sadid is a former diplomat in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Embassy to the kingdom of Belgium, in charge of NATO. She attended the NATO Training courses and speakers for the events at NATO H-Q in Brussels, and also in Nederland, Germany, Estonia, and Azerbaijan. Sadid has is a former Political Reporter for Pajhwok News Agency, covering the London, Conference in 2006 and Lisbon summit in 2010.
