Maritime Trade and Transport - HWWI

The anticipated use of larger and heavier trucks74 will also lead to new requirements in road
infrastructure to suit these dimensions. In Germany, for example, weight may cause problems
on numerous bridges and overpasses. One-third of the approximately 36,000 overpasses, in
fact, date from the 1950s.
Focuses in the rail sector will be:
Capacity expansion in rail transport (upgrading of lines, line improvements, parallel tracks
for passenger and freight trains, lengthening of holding or side tracks).
Electrification of the rail networks. Experts expect increases in efficiency of more than 40%
from complete electrification, which is to be concluded by 2020 within the EU-15, but will
go beyond our forecast period for the newcomer nations. Research for Germany has shown
that the electrification of a line which permits a higher speed than the old traction system
can increase its capacity by about 10%.
There will also be a definite boost in the demand for locomotives and rolling stock, as well as
for special freight cars needed for the expansion of combined transport. Appreciable investments
in handling equipment are also expected in connection with CT.
Focuses in shipping will be:
The expansion of existing waterways (deepening, straightening, canalization), as well as inland
waterways that are no longer used and the creation of new river connections.
Investments in bridge heights, 75 operation of locks, and ship hoists.
Links between the ports and the rail network, expansion of handling and loading equipment.
Modernization of the inland waterway fleet (some vessels over 40 years old).
Construction of safer, faster, and lower-emission ships, also to comply with the expected
more stringent environmental standards.
The growing demand for smaller, shallow-draft ships for inland shipping, in view of climate
change.
For the investor, the major construction companies like Bilfinger Berger und Hochtief should
be mentioned, but also Cemex, Heidelzement, Holeim and Lafarge. Germany’s largest construction
group, Strabag, recently re-positioned itself in the European railroad construction sector
by purchasing sector specialist Eichholz. Family-owned up to now, the Eichholz Group is
known as one of the leading railroad construction specialists in Germany. Companies active in
the rail vehicle and technology segments include Alstom, Bombardier, Siemens and Vossloh. It
is the Dutch companies, such as BAM and Heijmans (see also Chapter 5.1, A digression: Dredging
and filling), that traditionally have experience in the waterways construction segment.
74 The so-called gigaliners will be 20 t heavier and 6.5 m longer than the 40-tonners currently permitted on German
roads. Even though their use is still disputed, experts believe that they would reduce the number of trucks on the
highways by one-third, at the same time considerably cutting fuel consumption. Two megatrucks can transport as
much as three 40-tonners, but use up to 30% less fuel per t of payload.
75 In container transport between Magdeburg and Berlin, for example, since vertical clearance is too low, containers can
only be transported in a single layer, although transport of up to six containers side by side and five high is possible.
126 Berenberg Bank · HWWI: Strategy 2030 · No. 4