Water levels at four German Rhine gauges — Maxau, Kaub, Cologne and Duisburg — have fallen to new historic lows in recent days, forcing tri-modal operator Contargo to suspend shipping on the Upper Rhine and the Rhine-Main region entirely and to move freight onto rail and road.

On the Middle Rhine, vessels continue to operate only on a limited basis, and only where safe execution of transport can be guaranteed. In its latest service update, Contargo warned that if forecast watermarks materialise, it may have to implement extensive operational measures at short notice.

Is a full suspension of Rhine barge traffic coming?

Asked whether inland waterway traffic risked suspension along the entire German section of the Rhine, a Contargo spokesperson told RailFreight.com: "We cannot say as this ultimately depends on each individual vessel operator. Some of Contargo's vessels can operate in very shallow water."

The company has already shifted volumes to land-based modes. "At the moment, for example, we are operating two trains per week between (the German cities of) Wörth and Emmerich" — a distance of more than 400 kilometres — the spokesperson said. Contargo has also temporarily established a land bridge between the Middle Rhine region and Emmelsum/Emmerich.

How much extra rail capacity is available?

DB Cargo announced last month that around 400 additional wagons could be made available at short notice to support freight transport across industries hit by low water on Europe's largest inland trade waterway. Some media reports put the figure as high as 900 wagons.

Approached for an update on implementation, a Deutsche Bahn spokesperson said: "DB Cargo is responding to increased demand for transport capacity from customers in the Liquids & Bulks business segments (bulk commodities such as mineral oil and coal) as well as in the steel sector. And as announced, is gradually adjusting its wagon fleet capacity. We ask for your understanding that, for competitive reasons, we are unable to provide details on freight volumes or the number of trains."

The extra demand does not appear to be straining the network. Infrastructure manager DB InfraGO coordinates around 4,500 freight train movements on the German network each day, and the DB spokesperson added: "Additional rail (freight) traffic, for example due to the current low water levels, can currently be accommodated within existing operational processes."

What is at stake for shippers?

The Rhine is Europe's most important inland waterway for trade, and prolonged low water restricts the draft — and therefore the payload — of barges still operating, raising unit costs for cargo owners in minerals, oil, coal and steel. The current drought mirrors earlier episodes that pushed cargo from barges to rail and road, with rail operators positioning wagon capacity as the relief valve.

Separately, Hapag-Lloyd has turned to rail freight amid the same Rhine drought, while DHL has highlighted difficulties shippers face when switching between transport modes — a signal that modal shift is possible but far from frictionless.

With gauge readings still declining and Contargo warning of further measures at short notice, operators and shippers along the Rhine corridor will be watching forecasts closely in the coming weeks.