Inside Europe’s Rail Revolution - How Combinant is Powering the Future of European Logistics
- VCARE Academy
- 36 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Presented by ISCN.Academy — where supply chain leaders learn from real stories.
At the heart of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Combinant NV stands as a benchmark for how intermodal terminals can drive efficiency, sustainability, and collaboration in European logistics.
Led by Ben Beirnaert, General Manager, Combinant connects rail and road flows across Europe, operating as an open-access intermodal terminal serving a wide network of operators and logistics partners.
This blog highlights Combinant’s role in the European supply chain ecosystem — its infrastructure, challenges, and the broader developments shaping the future of rail freight.
About Combinant Founded in 2010, Combinant was established to address BASF’s congestion and sustainability goals at its Antwerp site. The terminal’s shareholders — BASF (45%), Hupac (35%), and Hoyer (20%) — represent a strategic alliance between industry, intermodal operators, and logistics providers. Today, Combinant handles approximately 130,000 units annually, positioning itself as the largest open-access intermodal terminal in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
Despite steady growth, the company acknowledges that rail transport across Europe remains challenged by operational, regulatory, and infrastructure barriers.
Infrastructure and Operations
Combinant’s layout follows a German terminal design, featuring three gantry cranes spanning five 620-meter rail tracks, six stacking lanes, and multiple truck lanes.
Adjacent yards are operated with reach stackers for storage and handling, and new infrastructure is being developed to accommodate trains longer than 650 meters — a step towards European interoperability.
The terminal employs 25 port workers and 12 office staff, supported by robust IT systems.Crane automation is currently limited to remote control due to equipment diversity, but full automation for continental operations is expected within the next five years.
The Intermodal Chain
Combinant exclusively serves intermodal operators — companies that organize and operate rail connections between terminals.
These operators provide locomotives and wagons, while logistics service providers (LSPs) purchase train capacity and arrange end-to-end transport for shippers.
Most of Combinant’s users are located within 100 km of Antwerp, many from the chemical sector, where rail is preferred for hazardous goods.
Although based in a major seaport, only 15–20% of Combinant’s traffic is maritime, with the majority being continental flows — highlighting the growing role of rail in inland European logistics.
Challenges in the Rail Freight Ecosystem
Europe’s rail freight faces several structural challenges:
Uneven subsidy systems: In Belgium, around 30% of Combinant’s €30 million investment was subsidized, whereas German terminals can receive up to 80%.
Fragmented regulation: Nine separate TEN-T corridors complicate synchronization and planning.
Driver shortages: Certified train drivers remain in high demand, creating operational bottlenecks.
Legislative barriers: Technologies like autonomous train driving are slowed by regulation and job protection laws.
Ben Beirnaert emphasizes the need for harmonized European legislation, data sharing, and simplified cross-border interoperability to level the playing field with road transport.
Impact of Recent Crises
The Ukraine war and subsequent energy price surge hit rail freight hard, forcing Combinant to introduce an energy surcharge.
As costs rose, volumes declined, particularly in energy-intensive sectors such as chemicals. While recovery has been slow, efficiency improvements and digital tools are helping operators maintain competitiveness.
The upcoming ETS-2 carbon tax (2027) could give rail freight a renewed advantage over road transport by pricing in emissions costs.
Performance and Data-Driven Operations
Combinant’s key performance indicators focus on truck turnaround times (target: 45 minutes) and train punctuality (currently 45% arrivals on time, 75% departures on time).
The terminal’s main operational bottleneck is storage capacity, which must be managed carefully to ensure smooth turnaround and high utilization. Ben highlights that data-driven decision-making and business intelligence tools are now essential for terminal reliability
Better digital communication and shared data platforms between operators will be critical to improving performance across Europe’s rail network.
Looking Forward
Europe’s intermodal future depends on collaboration, standardization, and smarter infrastructure. Short-term improvements include broader adoption of electronic transport documents (e-CMR), better communication among stakeholders, and progress toward a single, integrated European rail network.
Looking ahead to 2050, full automation, autonomous train operations, and digital interoperability are realistic goals — but they require coordinated action today.
As Beirnaert concludes:
“Sustainability used to be the main driver for rail. Today, cost and efficiency are back in focus. The challenge is to make rail as easy and reliable as road — and that starts with better collaboration.”
About ISCN Academy
ISCN Academy is the premier knowledge and streaming platform that offers supply chain executives a unique opportunity to learn and gain valuable insights from other experienced supply chain professionals and experts.
With a wide range of expert-led content offered through Augmented Interviews and Masterclasses, ISCN Academy is the go-to resource for the Supply Chain Executive looking to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in the field of supply chain management.
ISCN Academy delivers content in a variety of media formats, such as videos enriched with information tickers and bullets, podcasts, and easy-to-read articles.
Comments