The Antwerp-Rotterdam cross-border port region is one of Europe’s main industrial and logistics corridors, connecting two major port cities and extensive peri-urban areas. The Antwerp Transport Region hosts around 1.5 million inhabitants, while the Rotterdam metropolitan area exceeds 2.4 million, generating significant freight and commuting flows.
The region includes the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and the Port of Rotterdam, Europe’s two largest ports, both key nodes in the TEN-T network and part of the EU Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. The territory faces challenges in balancing freight and logistics with commuter and local mobility, further intensified by major infrastructure works. In Rotterdam, electricity grid congestion adds a structural constraint to the energy transition.
Key challenges
Congestion and pressure on transport systems
High freight and commuter flows affect accessibility in port and peri-urban areas.
Balancing mobility demands
Freight, logistics, and local mobility compete for limited capacity.
Impact of infrastructure works
Ongoing construction and maintenance projects disrupt transport systems.
Industrial and port transition
Activities must become more sustainable while maintaining efficiency.
Complex governance
Coordination is required across cities, regions, ports, and stakeholders.
Energy system constraints
Grid congestion in Rotterdam limits energy transition solutions.
What the TSLL will address through ALTHEA
Peri-urban mobility and accessibility
The TSLL will improve port access and support modal shift in peri-urban areas through coordinated mobility solutions. In Rotterdam, a vanpooling system will connect workers to the port through collaboration between public authorities, companies, and employees. Transport flow analysis, trip combination platforms, and simulations will guide the system to reduce private car use. In Antwerp, a support structure will help the 31 municipalities of the Antwerp Transport Region implement Roadmap 2030. It will provide capacity building, advisory services, and modal shift measures for employees, companies, and residents.
Multimodal hubs and integrated mobility systems
The TSLL will support the development and optimisation of multimodal hubs to better connect peri-urban and urban areas. It will align strategies developed by the city of Antwerp, Lantis, and the Flemish Government, and strengthen cooperation across governance levels. The hubs will ensure better integration between car use, public transport, cycling, and shared mobility, while improving user experience through services such as parcel lockers and charging infrastructure. The TSLL will also monitor usage and satisfaction and integrate mobility information into digital tools such as the Smart Ways to Antwerp route planner.
Energy transition and charging infrastructure for logistics
The TSLL will deploy charging infrastructure for logistics vehicles in Rotterdam at a P+R location using the subway energy grid. This solution will enable both daytime and nighttime charging for private and logistics vehicles, while avoiding additional pressure on the already congested electricity grid. The intervention includes establishing the physical connection between the subway substation and the P+R site, installing charging infrastructure with smart charging functionality, coordinating stakeholders, monitoring performance, and identifying and engaging potential users.
Industrial transition through pipeline infrastructure
The TSLL will support the development of pipeline infrastructure in the port of Antwerp-Bruges as a key transport mode for hydrogen, CO₂, heat, and steam. These networks will contribute to the energy transition of industrial activities and support systems such as heat and steam distribution. The TSLL will address planning, coordination, and governance challenges by identifying missing links, infrastructure needs, and connections between industrial clusters, supported by dedicated coordination capacity to strengthen the role of pipelines in the transition towards a climate-neutral port.
Freight optimisation and logistics efficiency
The TSLL will develop solutions to optimise freight flows and reduce congestion in and around the port of Antwerp-Bruges. This includes the implementation of cargo P+Rs and time-shift strategies such as night-time logistics, enabling goods to be transferred or stored outside congested areas and transported during off-peak hours. The intervention will support modal shift towards barge and rail and explore operational measures such as use cases with shippers, availability of empty containers, and improvements in logistics organisation to better use existing infrastructure.
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