German states push for accelerated deepening of Rhine

The accelerated deepening of the navigation channel was advocated at a Rhine conference in Düsseldorf. It mainly concerns the navigation route between St.-Goar and Mainz. According to current planning, the deepening will not be completed until 2031. According to the Transport Ministers of the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate, this should be done much faster. The Hessen Transport Minister pointed out that the share of inland navigation in freight transport is falling despite the fact that roads and railways are congested. Ministers called for the deployment of more staff for deepening planning. At low tide, the navigability of the Rhine is regularly limited.