An environmental economic analysis of the new rail link to European main port Rotterdam

After a long policy debate it has been decided to built in the near future a new rail link (Betuwe line) in the Netherlands to handle the rapidly incr easing volume of goods to be transported from Rotterdam harbour to the cent re of Europe. This study analyses its economic and environmental aspects an d compares rail transport with road transport and transport on inland water ways. It is shown that transport by water will compete strongly with transp ort on the new railway and that water transport is attractive economically and environmentally. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.