Port of Rotterdam, ProRail to reroute rail line

The Netherlands State Secretary for Infrastructure and Environment has authorized the port authority to reroute a section of rail to make way for the new Theemsweg Route, which is currently under phase six of construction.    The Port of Rotterdam Authority and ProRail rail line have been authorized to reroute a 4.5 kilometer section of rail to make way for a new route that will circumvent aging bridge infrastructure.
   Sharon Dijksma, the Netherlands’ state secretary for infrastructure and environment, approved the Theemsweg Route decision early last week, according to the port authority.
   Slated for completion by 2021, the Theemsweg Route is a solution for the “capacity bottleneck” due to increased rail and shipping traffic, said the port authority. 
   The Theemsweg Route is currently in phase six of construction and includes altering the course of the Port Railway Line at the port of Rotterdam and the Caland Bridge. The bridge crosses the channel that is the only access for shipping between Rotterdam and the Europoort area of the port.
   According to the port authority, the Caland Bridge will reach the end of its useful life in 2020.
   The Theemsweg Route will redirect rail and shipping traffic around the Caland Bridge on a new route through the Theemsweg and Neckarweg regions. 
   The port authority will hold open meetings regarding the rail rerouting decision throughout June and July, after which the process of rerouting the rail line will begin.