Direct connections to inland container terminals and destinations across Europe and beyond
The Netherlands is well-connected and stitched together internally and more broadly with the rest of Europe by an advanced network of roadways, railways and waterways. By facilitating the movement of people, products and industrial materials, the logistics and distribution facilities in the Netherlands provides ample opportunity for foreign companies looking to reach the 240 million consumers located within 1,000 kilometers of the Netherlands’ key hubs.
Roads
139,124 kilometers of roads crisscross the Netherlands, including 3,654 kilometers of motor ways. In 2018, lorries transported 680 million tons of goods nationally in the Netherlands or internationally through the Netherlands. Amongst one of many initiatives to create more eco-friendly transportation in the Netherlands Dutch roads are outfitted with solar panels to generate energy.
Railways
More than 7,000 kilometers of rails connect the nation’s cities and beyond. Freight lines, like the Betuweroute, link the Netherlands with Germany, representing the most important destination and origin of goods coming to the Netherlands via rail. In 2019, more than 21 million tons of goods were transported from and to Germany, followed by Italy with 5.5 million tons and Belgium with 1.6 million tons. High speed passenger trains, like the Eurostar, link the Netherlands internationally, with various lines to Berlin, Brussels, London and Paris among other destinations.
Waterways
The Dutch waterways used for business are anything but quaint. Seaports in the Netherlands provide excellent initial connections to Europe. A large part of the Netherlands is located in the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, which enables transport links to reach the other European countries via either road, rail or waterways.
The Dutch rivers are interconnected through an intrinsic navigable canal and river system, unlocking the hinterlands of the Rhine, Scheldt and Meuse for commercial supply chains. 6,237 kilometers of waterways in the Netherlands are navigable by ships up to 50 tons.In 2018 alone, ships carried 238 million tons of goods along Dutch waterways, providing ample opportunities for ensuring a company’s needs when operating in the Netherlands.
