The €110 million project was awarded in 2021 and successfully completed in May this year. The implemented Trackguard Cargo MSR32 system delivers comprehensive yard automation and features advanced route and speed control units, retarders and propelling systems, as well as radio-based integration for precise locomotive control during the humping process.
Jens Nordmann, Head of Mainline at Siemens Mobility, says: "The modernisation of Kijfhoek demonstrates how intelligent automation can transform rail freight operations. By implementing our advanced Trackguard Cargo MSR32 system, we are significantly enhancing operational efficiency and setting new standards for sustainable freight transport in Europe”.
Helga Cuijpers, ProRail's Regional Director for the Randstad South Region, adds: "Now fully renewed, our freight yard facility near Rotterdam is fast and efficient, and its position as a key freight hub connecting the Port of Rotterdam with other European industrial centres is strengthened."
Spanning 50 hectares to the southeast of Rotterdam, the facility is the largest freight yard in the Netherlands, boasting an extensive infrastructure comprising 14 arrival tracks, 41 classification tracks and 12 stabling tracks. As a vital logistics hub between the Port of Rotterdam and European industrial centres, Kijfhoek's modernisation is supported by a 15-year maintenance service agreement.
