Inland waterways in Germany and the Netherlands to become more efficient

Creation date: 10 April 2012

The European Union will co-finance to the tune of almost €4 million a project to create Vessel Traffic Management (VTM) centres in order to improve fluvial navigation along the German and Dutch sections of the Rhine river.

The "Vessel Traffic Management Centres of the Future" project, which was selected for financing under the 2011 TEN-T Multi-Annual Call, will lay down the foundations for the new network of VTM centres along the Rhine in Germany and in the Netherlands. It aims to make inland waterway navigation more competitive, efficient and safe for both freight as well as passenger transport.

This will be achieved through a series of studies and pilot projects aimed at:

• Conceptual development of a comprehensive VTM system
• Improvement of the logistics chain's performance
• Implementation of a reporting system for the Rhine
• Development of Nautical Network Data Services (NNDS).

VTMs are a key part of River Information Services (RIS), the customised information services for inland waterway transport that make it possible to co-ordinate logistical processes with actual transport situations on a constant basis. RIS Services are defined by a European Framework Directive and need to be implemented by the Member States in a harmonised way.

The project, which will be managed by the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency, is set to be completed by September 2014.

For more information, please consult the project's page!

Press Release in German -  .doc (40.5 KB)

Press Release in Dutch -  .doc (40.5 KB)

Back to news list