Maersk has told customers that reduced rail capacity at APM Terminals Maasvlakte II in Rotterdam will last until the end of June 20271. That is later than the January 2027 date it gave earlier. The carrier links the constraint to the terminal's expansion works1.
Hapag-Lloyd completed its purchase of a 25% stake in the same terminal in the same week, after unconditional approval from antitrust authorities2. The two carriers run the Gemini Cooperation, which uses Maasvlakte II as a European hub2, 3.
What Maersk told shippers
Maersk said customers should expect limited rail capacity throughout the extended period1. It said it is working with affected shippers to find transport arrangements for individual cargo flows1.
It named three alternatives, depending on operational availability and shipment requirements. They are barge services to inland terminals, truck transport, and alternative rail connections where feasible1. Maersk said it will keep monitoring the expansion works. It will update customers if the timeline or conditions change1.
The advisory as reported gives no trains-per-week figure. It does not name the services or loops affected1.
Why this terminal matters
Maasvlakte II is a deep-sea terminal at Europe's largest port3, 5. It opened in 2015 and is among the world's most automated container facilities3.
The expansion adds 1,000 metres of deep-sea quay, doubling total berth length to 2,000 metres3. It also adds four rail tracks, more yard space and automated equipment3. APM Terminals expects annual capacity of approximately 5.4 million TEU once the work is complete2.
APM Terminals keeps a 75% stake and operational control of the facility3. The sale of 25% to Hapag-Lloyd was first announced in August 20262. It is held through Hanseatic Global Terminals and secures the German carrier long-term access to container handling capacity2. "We are very pleased to have completed this transaction and become a shareholder in Maasvlakte II," said Dheeraj Bhatia, Hapag-Lloyd's chief terminal and infrastructure officer2, 3. Financial terms were not disclosed2.
Maasvlakte II is a European hub for Gemini, the vessel-sharing partnership between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd launched in February 20252, 3. Hanseatic Global Terminals was set up in 2023 and is based in Rotterdam. It runs 26 marine terminals in 13 countries and aims for around 30 terminal investments by 20306, 2.
Rail is the tight part of the gateway
Rotterdam's container mix has shifted toward hinterland cargo. In January to September 2026, container throughput rose 0.1% in TEU while containerised cargo fell 2.2%4. Transshipment dropped 20% and hinterland container volumes rose 7.2%4. Full-container imports grew 8.9%, against 1% for exports4.
The port authority said long-standing capacity constraints at deep-sea terminals had pushed more cargo through alternative ports. That freed capacity for containers moving to and from the hinterland4. So the inland leg carries more of the gateway's growth just as rail capacity at Maasvlakte II is cut1, 4.
Maersk's list of alternatives shows that many boxes will now move inland by barge, truck or a different rail connection1.
What to watch before 2027 contracts
Maersk's notice sets a date but not a capacity level. Shippers cannot yet size the shortfall from the advisory alone1.
The substitutes change the inland move. Barge depends on slots at inland terminals, truck depends on road haulage, and alternative rail is offered only where feasible1.
Under the timeline Maersk gave, the constraint runs to the end of June 20271. A supply contract that assumes a rail move out of Rotterdam in the first half of 2027 carries timing risk. The carrier has not quantified that risk publicly1.
The stake also puts both Gemini carriers behind one terminal2, 3. An inland bottleneck at Maasvlakte II is therefore shared by both lines' customers. Harold Kunst, managing director of APM Terminals Maasvlakte II, said the terminal would keep focusing on safe and reliable operations for all customers3.