Domestic transport and the transit of goods, i.e. transport between two foreign places via Dutch rail, have fallen in the past year.
In 2023, 39,3 million tons of goods were transported by Dutch rail, a decrease of 11,5 percent compared to the record year 2022. This decline is mainly attributed to the decrease in the transport of coal and goods in containers, according to according to recent figures from Statistics Netherlands.
Containers make up a large part of the total freight transport by train, almost 44 percent of the total weight. In 2023, the transport of container goods decreased by 11,5 percent to 17,3 million tons. The number of containers transported also decreased by 11,5 percent. Most container goods have their origin or destination in Germany and Italy. Within the Netherlands, the weight of goods transported in containers decreased by 27,9 percent, from 2,2 million tons in 2022 to 1,6 million tons in 2023.
After container goods, coal and metal ores are the most transported goods by rail. The transport of coal decreased significantly by 22,1 percent compared to 2022, while the transport of metal ores decreased by 4,6 percent. Other types of goods such as chemical products and metals, including steel, were also transported less by rail. Chemicals saw a decline of 3,7 percent and metals saw a decline of 10 percent.
The majority of goods transported by rail are loaded in the Netherlands and unloaded abroad. In 2023, this flow of goods decreased to 24,0 million tons, a decrease of 12,0 percent compared to the previous year. In particular, the export of coal to Germany decreased, with a decrease of 22,3 percent.
The supply of goods to the Netherlands, amounting to 10,1 million tons, decreased by 2023 percent in 4,0. This decrease mainly concerned goods in containers (-10,1 percent) and metal ores and other minerals (-38,3 percent). In contrast, the supply of bulk goods within agriculture, forestry and fishing, such as grain and corn, increased by no less than 45,3 percent.
Domestic transport and the transit of goods, i.e. transport between two foreign locations via Dutch rail, also decreased in 2023. Domestic transport decreased by 27,3 percent, while the transit of goods decreased by 15,8 percent.
