The Rhine is currently carrying less water than ever before, severely restricting inland navigation. To keep the economy running, the railway plans to reactivate around 900 decommissioned wagons—300 of which could be deployed immediately. This emerges from an internal paper by DB Cargo CEO Bernhard Osburg, which the Rheinische Post has seen.
“900 wagons replace 200 inland vessels,” Osburg is quoted as saying. Additional capacities are also to be tapped in other European countries. Water levels on many rivers are historically low, and the situation for shipping remains critical.
Transport Minister Steffen Bilger (CDU) had already announced plans to shift freight from inland vessels to rail and road. Several federal states have temporarily relaxed Sunday driving bans for trucks.
Economist Veronika Grimm warns of rising consumer prices. Speaking to the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, she said the low water could “drive prices up unnecessarily.” The chemical and energy markets are particularly affected, for instance in the transport of oil to refineries. Grimm also criticized a lack of foresight in politics: one should be prepared for such climate impacts rather than discussing ad hoc emergency measures.
Source: Tagesschau
