According to data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS), total freight moved by rail reached 37.8 million tonnes in 2024, down by 3.9% compared to 2023.
The overall drop in rail freight was attributed to a 9.3% decrease in exports, falling to 21.7 million tonnes. Meanwhile, imports into the Netherlands increased slightly by 2.4%, totalling 10.3 million tonnes. Domestic and transit rail freight figures also rose, reaching 2.6 million tonnes and 3.2 million tonnes respectively.
Coal shipments registered a notable decline, with transport to Germany particularly affected. In 2024, rail transported 4.6 million tonnes of coal, a decrease of 2.9 million tonnes from the previous year. Coal ranked third in the category of rail-shipped commodities, down from second place in 2023. The shift away from coal is linked to decreased demand from power plants as alternative energy sources and gas gain prominence.
Containerized goods remained the dominant category, representing nearly half of total rail freight at 18.4 million tonnes. These containers predominantly carried car parts, plastic products, machinery, hardware, and clothing.
Shipments of metal ores and minerals increased by 7.2% year-on-year, totalling 4.9 million tonnes in 2024. This commodity group became the second largest category transported by rail, despite showing a 1.4 million-tonne decrease compared to ten years prior.
Germany continued to be the primary trading partner for Dutch rail freight, accounting for approximately two-thirds of outgoing rail shipments and 37.9% of incoming goods. However, Germany’s overall share of rail transport trade with the Netherlands has diminished over the past decade, with Austria and Poland gaining in prominence as alternative trade partners.
