Rivers and canals in Europe carry international and regional traffic. Linking Europe’s mainports with its hinterland, the main waterways provide a proven solution for maritime cargo. Connections between inland terminals create opportunities for continental cargo. Rivers and canals crossing cities are the ultimate way to shorten the last mile by truck.

The congestion-free network

The inland waterways offer a 42,000km congestion-free network connecting cities across Europe and half this network is accessible to 1,000tonnes vessels and more. The inland waterways form a particularly dense network in North-West Europe where main waterways are essential to the competitiveness of some major sea ports, providing a seamless network for transportation inland. Small waterways are important for regional transport but also have a feeder function to the main network.

From North to South and East to West

Waterways flow through the whole of Europe’s growing market. You can now travel from the North Sea to the Black Sea via the Rhine-Main-Danube waterway, passing through more than 10 countries. Scandinavia, the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, the United Kingdom and Ireland all have their own inland waterways. Links to the mainland are by short sea routes.

Connecting multmodal terminals

Inland waterway transport almost always works in combination with other means of transport. A network of transshipment facilities offering dedicated and/or regular services provide connections to other modes of transport.