Are River Ports Following the Trend Toward Concentration Initiated by Seaports? Perspective on Recent Evolution of Containerized Cargo on the Rhine

The paper analyses the consequences of massification in container transport on the Rhine. In the 1990?, increasing traffic had a positive effect that helped its development. The expanding transport demand induced more frequent departures and at the same time lowered the cost by the use of high capacity barges. The new growth level that has been reached can explain why port concentration might now take place (as with deep-sea container business) despite the limited scale economies of barge shipping already attained. Such an evolution has been opposed for a long time by the dominating barge operators. In such a respect, they were against any influence of maritime actors, more inclined to establish a hierarchical pattern. Emerging transport patterns like transferia and megaports are now seriously taken in account. The various projects under construction are now gaining momentum. They are contributing to a closer cooperation among the barge companies and between barge companies and the maritime firms. One sign of such a change would be the emergence of a main hub located on the Lower Rhine.