July

Greater safety thanks to new Safety and Security Plan for the North Sea Canal Area
27 July 2007
Early June 2007, the local authorities in Amsterdam, Zaanstad, Beverwijk and Velsen jointly drew up the Safety and Security Plan for the North

Sea Canal Area. On July 13, the Dutch Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management approved the plan. This step fulfills the obligation laid down in the EU guideline concerned. The plan is meant especially for functionaries of the various government organizations responding to threats and crises. Among other things, the plan clearly allocates responsibilities (who must do what) and streamlines the information flow (who must inform whom).

Port of Amsterdam has high hopes for Betuwe Line
6 July 2007
At a conference held on July 5 and entitled "Amsterdam and the Betuwe Line," Hans Gerson (President & CEO of the Port of Amsterdam) expressed his optimism about the Betuwe Line. The newly inaugurated Betuwe Line is a dedicated rail line for goods transport and runs between the Port of Rotterdam and the German border. Gerson indicated that - thanks to a new rail linkup between Amsterdam and the Betuwe Line - the Port of Amsterdam will have better connections with the European hinterland. Cargo from Amsterdam uses the rail line to Utrecht, then the rail line to Geldermalsen and finally the new linkup with the Betuwe Line. Gerson expects to see a further growth of rail cargo, which will ease the pressure on the road network.

New barge shuttle service between Port of Amsterdam and Strasbourg
5 July 2007
On June 20, a new weekly barge shuttle service was launched between the container terminals in the Port of Amsterdam and Strasbourg in France. For the first time, a scheduled service is being offered between the Upper Rhine (the upper section of the Rhine) and Amsterdam exclusively.