The Belgian rail operator Lineas is assigned the first Spoorzone in North Sea Port after a successful tender. This decision is an important step towards more efficient and more sustainable freight transport by rail in the Ghent part of the port.
In May 2025, North Sea Port launched a group purchase for rail transport for the first time, at the request of five companies on the left bank of the Ghent-Terneuzen canal: PVS, Eastman Chemical, EOC Belgium NV, Kronos Europe and a logistics subsidiary of ArcelorMittal. They bundle their volumes to make transport more reliable and transparent.
The collaboration with Lineas starts on January 1, 2026 and runs for two years. This approach must contribute to the ambition of North Sea Port to increase the share of rail transport in the Modal Split from 10 to 15 percent. The joint approach not only provides economies of scale, but also offers insights into operational improvement points, in consultation with Infrabel and other partners.
North Sea Port acted as a neutral party in this process and collaborated with Railport, a daughter of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, who already has experience with similar railways.
