• Existing train service on the Rotterdam – Basel corridor with 46 round trips per week
• Increase in frequency on the Cologne – Basel route (and vice versa) from 7 September, from three to five round trips per week

(Frankfurt am Main, 13 August 2026) The ongoing low water levels on the Rhine are posing major challenges for inland waterway transport. For freight forwarders and shipping companies that have hitherto handled their shipments via waterways, Kombiverkehr KG offers available alternatives and capacity by rail. Thanks to Germany’s largest continental intermodal network, shipments can be quickly and easily switched to existing rail connections. 

For shipments that were previously carried out on the Rhine by inland waterway vessel, the Frankfurt-based company already offers various rail connections within the Kombiverkehr network, comprising a total of 46 weekly round trips and onward transport within Germany. These include the routes Antwerp – Duisburg, Antwerp – Ludwigshafen, Duisburg – Ludwigshafen, Cologne – Ludwigshafen, Cologne – Basel, Rotterdam – Duisburg, Rotterdam – Cologne, Rotterdam – Ludwigshafen and Rotterdam – Basel. A total capacity of around 2,000 TEU is therefore available to the market on these routes, which can be utilised at short notice to shift freight from waterways to rail. “At the start of September, we will increase transport volumes on the Cologne – Basel route and vice versa by two-thirds of the current transportable volume, or by a further 400 TEU. If necessary, we will increase departure frequencies on each of the routes mentioned. This is our response to the particularly low water levels on the Rhine, and we are offering reliable alternative routes every weekday with fast transit times overnight,” emphasises Managing Director Dirk Steffes. 

Cologne – Basel and vice versa: Two additional train departures per week in each direction from September
From 7 September 2026, Kombiverkehr KG will adjust the transport capacity on the Cologne – Basel route. The number of train departures will be increased from the current three to five per week in each direction. The transit time is generally between eleven and thirteen hours from acceptance of the load unit at the dispatch terminal to the start of collection at the destination terminal. The transport of dangerous goods is possible, with the sole exception of Class 7 dangerous goods. Gateway connections from Cologne are available across the entire Kombiverkehr network.

Kombiverkehr KG acts as a neutral service partner for freight forwarders and logistics companies. Where required for the entire route, necessary pre- and post-carriage by road can be organised via independent trucking providers. This enables a seamless transport chain to be established without industrial companies and freight forwarders having to make fundamental changes to their existing logistics processes. 

Kombiverkehr KG provides information on the existing train services on the Rotterdam – Basel corridor, including timetables, on its website at www.kombiverkehr.com.