Maasvlakte rail project reaches key milestone with conduit installation under active tracks

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The expansion of rail infrastructure at the Maasvlakte has moved into a new phase after contractors successfully installed a large concrete utilities conduit beneath active railway tracks during a 130 hour shutdown window.

The operation forms part of the development of the Maasvlakte Zuid Railway Yard, a project led jointly by ProRail and the Port of Rotterdam Authority to support rising rail freight volumes moving between Rotterdam and the European hinterland.

The installation was completed through collaboration between contractors Swietelsky, Van der Linden Beton, Boskalis, De Koning, and CT De Boer.

The conduit consists of two tunnel pipes assembled from precast concrete elements beside the railway line before the shutdown began. Once rail traffic was halted, crews excavated beneath the track and hydraulically pushed the entire tunnel structure into position.

The approach allowed the work to be completed within a tightly controlled timeframe while limiting disruption to nearby rail operations and the Locomotive Workshop Rotterdam, known as LWR.

For rail infrastructure teams, the challenge resembled replacing foundations beneath a moving building. Everything had to be prepared in advance because once the shutdown started, there was little room for delay.

The conduit is positioned near the LWR sidings and has been designed to accommodate future underground cables and pipelines without requiring additional excavation beneath the railway tracks.

Project partners said the design will help future energy transition and utility projects proceed with minimal operational disruption.

The Maasvlakte expansion comes as container throughput at the Port of Rotterdam continues to increase and authorities push for a larger share of hinterland cargo to move by rail rather than road.

The first phase of the Maasvlakte Zuid Railway Yard, also referred to as EMZ, includes construction of six new tracks and multiple connections to existing railway infrastructure.

According to the project partners, the first bundle of tracks is expected to enter service in mid 2027.

The remaining sections of the yard will be developed in phases.

The rail yard is intended to strengthen freight connectivity between Rotterdam’s container terminals and inland European logistics hubs. Rail volumes from the Maasvlakte have grown steadily in recent years as shippers look for lower emission transport alternatives and more reliable inland distribution options.

Infrastructure planning has also focused on preventing repeated interruptions in the future. By installing the conduit now, project teams aim to avoid reopening rail lines later for utility work.

That matters on a corridor where operational downtime can quickly affect terminal flows, train schedules, and hinterland cargo movements.

Alongside the conduit installation, other infrastructure works are continuing in the area.

Strukton and KPN are supporting the relocation of an Evides water main and a pressure pipeline owned by the Port of Rotterdam Authority. Casing pipes have already been installed to support the relocation process.

Once the new conduit was positioned beneath the railway line, crews could begin routing the replacement pipelines through the new structure.

Project teams coordinated the work closely with businesses operating in the Maasvlakte area and with LWR, which has reportedly been involved in planning discussions for the past three years.

Authorities said concentrating the work into a single shutdown period helped minimise disruption to both freight users and nearby industrial operations.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority, ProRail, and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management are jointly investing in the Maasvlakte rail expansion as part of a broader strategy to improve sustainable hinterland transport capacity.

Container throughput forecasts for Rotterdam continue to point upward over the coming years, particularly as larger container vessels and expanded terminal capacity place additional pressure on inland transport networks.

Rail remains a central part of that strategy because it offers higher volume transport with lower emissions compared with road freight.

For logistics operators moving cargo inland from Rotterdam, the development of the Maasvlakte Zuid Railway Yard could eventually help ease pressure on existing rail infrastructure while improving train handling capacity across the port area.