In June 2017, a test train was received at Ninove but no further progress has been made on establishing a structural connection on the freight railway line. Federal Minister for Mobility, Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo), confirmed that only one test has been conducted so far when asked regarding the situation by Tania De Jonge (Open Vld), the deputy and mayor of Ninove.
Regarding the Delhaize project, it has been quietly abandoned due to the high cost of transport which was not proportional to the added value. Roel Dekelver, a Delhaize spokesperson, confirmed that the project was launched as a pilot in 2017 but analysis showed that rail transport was not only more expensive but also less flexible than truck transport.
Currently, Delhaize is exploring other eco-friendly delivery options such as the use of liquefied natural gas trucks or hybrid trucks.
A test train had been received at Ninove in June 2017 but since then, no structural connection has emerged following this test run. “For the moment, there has only been one test” on the freight railway line in Ninove, admitted the Federal Minister for Mobility, Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo), questioned in writing by the deputy and mayor of Ninove Tania De Jonge (Open Vld)
On the Delhaize side, it is confirmed that the project has been discreetly buried. “It had been launched in 2017 as a pilot project, but we had to conclude following tests and analyzes that the cost of transport was not proportional to the added value,” said spokesman Roel Dekelver. Rail transport proved to be more expensive than truck transport, and it was also less flexible.
The spokesperson points out that Delhaize is studying several other possibilities for more environmentally friendly delivery, such as the use of liquefied natural gas trucks or hybrid trucks.
In conclusion, it seems that the pilot project of delivering goods by train between Ninove and Zellik has been put on hold. Despite the test train that arrived in Ninove in 2017, no further structural connection has been made. On the Delhaize side, the project has been discreetly buried due to the high cost of rail transport when compared to truck transport. However, it’s encouraging to know that Delhaize is exploring other environmentally friendly delivery options, such as liquefied natural gas trucks or hybrid trucks. It remains to be seen if rail transport will make a comeback in the future, but for now, it seems that trucks will continue to dominate the transportation of goods.