Water levels on the Rhine have fallen to new historic lows at gauges across Germany, forcing inland shipping operators to suspend services and push freight onto rail and road at scale.

Tri-modal operator Contargo reported declining readings at the Maxau, Kaub, Cologne and Duisburg gauges in its latest service update. Shipping operations on the Upper Rhine and in the Rhine-Main region have already stopped. On the Middle Rhine, vessels are running only in a limited fashion, and only where operators can guarantee safe transport execution.

The company warned that if water level forecasts materialise, it may need to implement extensive operational measures at short notice — a signal that barge capacity on Europe's largest inland trade artery could tighten further in the coming days.

Asked whether inland waterway traffic risked suspension along the entire German section of the Rhine, a Contargo spokesperson was cautious. "We cannot say as this ultimately depends on each individual vessel operator. Some of Contargo's vessels can operate in very shallow water," the spokesperson told RailFreight.com.

Modal shift already under way

Contargo has already moved volumes to land-based modes. "Contargo has shifted some of its transport volumes to rail and road. At the moment, for example, we are operating two trains per week between Wörth and Emmerich," the spokesperson said — a distance of more than 400 kilometres. The company has also temporarily established a land bridge between the Middle Rhine region and Emmelsum/Emmerich, near the Dutch border.

For shippers, the practical consequences are direct: barge slots are disappearing on key stretches, transhipment costs are rising, and cargo that normally moves by water between the Rhine's industrial clusters and the seaports of Rotterdam and Antwerp via the German network now competes for rail wagons and truck capacity. The steel, chemicals and bulk sectors that dominate Rhine barge traffic face the tightest squeeze, and forwarders serving those clients should expect surcharges, longer lead times and rebooking pressure while the low-water period lasts.

Rail picks up the slack

Germany's rail sector is absorbing some of the displaced demand. Last month, DB Cargo announced that around 400 additional wagons could be made available at short notice to support freight transport hampered by low water on the Rhine; some media reports put the figure as high as 900 wagons.

Approached for an update on the implementation of the extra capacity and its impact, a Deutsche Bahn spokesperson confirmed growing demand from drought-affected industries.

"DB Cargo is responding to increased demand for transport capacity from customers in the Liquids & Bulks business segments (bulk commodities such as mineral oil and coal) as well as in the steel sector. And as announced, is gradually adjusting its wagon fleet capacity. We ask for your understanding that, for competitive reasons, we are unable to provide details on freight volumes or the number of trains," the spokesperson said.

Rail infrastructure manager DB InfraGO coordinates around 4,500 freight train movements on the German network each day, and the DB spokesperson indicated the surge in demand has not yet strained the system. "Additional rail freight traffic, for example due to the current low water levels, can currently be accommodated within existing operational processes," the spokesperson added.

Watch the gauges

The immediate variable is hydrology. If forecasts for further declines at Kaub — the chokepoint gauge for Middle Rhine operations — prove accurate, more barge operators will suspend sailings and Contargo's warning of "extensive operational measures" will translate into more forced modal shifts. With DB Cargo signalling it can absorb extra volumes for now, the binding constraint for shippers in the short term is less rail capacity than barge availability — and that depends on each vessel operator's draft tolerance and how quickly water levels recover.