Bilger: Switching Rhine Freight to Road and Rail Is on the Table

That is on the table, Bilger told the Bild newspaper. "If traffic on the Rhine waterway comes to a complete standstill, we must see how we can switch to road or rail. Bilger has invited shipping, port, and industry representatives to a summit in Bonn on Thursday to address the crisis.

Low water levels are forcing barges to carry significantly less cargo, raising transport costs and hitting industries reliant on bulk goods. Rail alternatives are being explored, but extensive construction and track renovation along the Rhine limit capacity. Bilger said his ministry is in talks with Deutsche Bahn about shifting more freight to rail.

The low water levels are mainly due to a lack of rainfall, with heat increasing evaporation, according to the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research. Bilger stressed Germany must better prepare its waterways for drought in the long term, including expanding fairways and supporting barge operators. He pointed to climate change: "Climate change is happening. We must get used to such situations occurring more often.