The first few metres of railway track were laid this summer on Maasvlakte 2. This track is needed to connect the future rail track on the outer contour with the track on the current Maasvlakte. The railway work is being done by BAVO Spoor, subsidiary of BAVO MV2, the subcontractor of PUMA (building consortium Boskalis and Van Oord).
This year and next, BAVO Spoor (BAM Rail and Volker Rail) will lay all of the new rails on Maasvlakte 2.
The new connection to the Euromax terminal is just behind the new dunes. The track connects to the current Maasvlakte railway track close to Railterminal West of ECT. In September the railway track on the Maasvlakte was closed down for 200 hours so this connection could be made.
With that important modification finished, work on laying the new railway on Maasvlakte 2 can continue with confidence.
The railway on the Maasvlakte will have to be closed down two more times in 2012. That will enable the Lyondell rail to be adjusted to the new situation and, towards the end of that year, allow trains to cross Maasvlakte 2 on their way to the Euromax terminal.
Once that has been realised, contractor PUMA can make the ‘crossing’ between the Yangtzehaven and the port basins of Maasvlakte 2. In the spring of 2013, work ships for the first terminals on Maasvlakte 2 will be able to reach their destination via the new access route.
On Maasvlakte 2, rail transport will have all the space it needs to grow. Currently around nine per cent of all cargo leaves the port by rail. This is intended to reach 20 per cent in the future.
[mappress]
Source: maasvlakte, October 10, 2011