Largest rail freight yard in the Netherlands to be automated

Credit: Siemens Mobility

The Kijfhoek rail freight yard – the largest in the Netherlands and a vital link between the Rotterdam ports and major industrial areas in Europe – will be deployed with a state-of-the-art fully automated system to manage yard operations and 15 years of maintenance services.

ProRail B.V. awared the €110 million contract to Siemens Mobility who will provide its Trackguard Cargo MSR32 automation solution.

Located southeast of Rotterdam, the Kijfhoek marshalling yard encompasses 50 hectares, with 14 arrival tracks, 41 classification tracks and 12 stabling tracks.

Andre Rodenbeck, CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, said: “The increased automation of rail freight yards, systems and processes is having a considerable impact on the economic efficiency of freight transport, as intelligent systems are allowing for goods to be delivered faster, more reliably, and in a far more sustainable manner. As a global market leader in cargo automation and maintenance services, our sophisticated Trackguard Cargo MSR32 solution and highly digitalised customer services will enable Kijfhoek to safely enhance the efficiency and reliability of its operations.”

The automation solution will allow the yard to operate its marshalling and humping operations with a high degree of efficiency, reliability, and safety. In addition, the highly digitalised maintenance services will improve general operations and reduce the overall lifecycle costs. The project is intended to be completed in 2024 and Kijfhoek will continue to operate at least 50 per cent of capacity during this work.

Trackguard Cargo MSR32 is a proven system specifically designed to efficiently manage and organize the movement of rail cars in freight yards. It allows for the rationalisation of operational sequences at all levels, from train arrival to train departure, and provides the maximum possible automation of all work cycles and humping operations. This includes the route and speed control units for all points, retarders, and propelling systems, as well as the radio-based integration of the humping locomotive to closely manage the humping speed.