The surge in rail freight can be primarily attributed to the growth in coal and container shipments. CBS reports that coal transport witnessed a substantial increase of 28.6 per cent year on year.

Moreover, container freight, which accounted for nearly 44 per cent of the total weight of rail freight, rose by 4.7 per cent, amounting to 19.6 million tonnes in 2022.

Container freight demonstrated a positive trend as well, with the total number of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) rising by 3.7 per cent.

Germany and Italy played a significant role in this growth, as a considerable portion of the container goods flowing to and from the Netherlands were linked to these countries. Specifically, container goods destined for Germany witnessed a noteworthy increase of 12.0 per cent, while those bound for Italy saw a rise of 5.6 per cent in 2022.

In contrast, other commonly transported goods experienced a decline compared to the previous year. Metal ore transport recorded a decrease of 10.6 per cent, while metal transport, including steel, witnessed a more substantial decline of 16.1 per cent. Additionally, the transport of chemical products fell slightly by 1.5 per cent.

It is worth noting that both inland and international rail freight saw positive growth in 2022. Most of the rail freight transported originates in the Netherlands and is unloaded abroad. This goods flow accounted for 27.2 million tonnes, representing a 5.6 per cent increase compared to the previous year. Notably, coal transport to Germany experienced a substantial rise of 27.8 per cent, while inbound freight from Germany saw a moderate increase of 2.8 per cent.

The latter increase was primarily driven by container freight, which rose by 2.9 per cent, as well as agricultural, forestry, and fishery products carried in bulk, showing an impressive surge of 35.6 per cent. This category includes products such as wheat and maize.

Furthermore, rail freight in transit, which refers to goods travelling from a foreign departure point to a foreign destination via Dutch railways, witnessed an increase of 3.1 per cent. Inland rail transport also experienced growth, albeit more modestly, with a rise of 0.6 per cent in 2022.

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