In brief: Rail logistics firm VTG GmbH said on October 20 that Germany’s rail network cannot fully absorb the cargo being diverted from the Rhine, where water levels have fallen to record lows after a summer of drought and repeated heat waves, because maintenance on parts of the network since July has also squeezed capacity.
VTG said rail has taken on a “considerable part” of the volume pushed off the river but cannot replace Rhine shipping one-for-one: a full freight train carries roughly 1,200 to 1,500 tonnes, well short of a standard barge’s load. The Rhine links factories across Germany, Switzerland and the Benelux with global markets, and The Loadstar reported container barges around Duisburg-Ruhrort were already running at about two-thirds capacity by mid-October, with vessels further upstream carrying even less. The squeeze has had knock-on effects beyond freight: Switzerland authorized withdrawals of up to 30,000 cubic metres of kerosene from strategic reserves between October 15 and November 1 after rail delays disrupted fuel deliveries to Zurich Airport.
For importers and exporters moving cargo through the Rhine corridor, the shortage of alternative capacity means longer transit times, tighter rail and trucking bookings, and higher costs until water levels recover and the rail maintenance backlog clears, with no firm timeline from VTG on either.
Source: Bloomberg, October 20, 2026.