River To Success

RiverToSucces are considered owners and devisers of the FENIX Rail project.

The southern Dutch Province of Limburg is surrounded by Belgium and Germany. In the Benelux-area, when connecting the Western Mining Region (Netherlands) with the industrial region of Genk (Belgium), this is the third largest industrial zone, after the Rotterdam and Antwerp Harbour.

Euregional industry and logistics are a characteristic of large variation and a clearly international orientation. Trends, such as the increasing migration of labour processes to Asia and Eastern-Europe, lead to increasing pressure on regional employment. Developments regarding production rationalization and outsourcing strategies are still moving. Therefore, the interest of efficient infrastructure for production industries and modern logistics is ever growing. In order to anchor present industries, but also to attract possible newcomers, opening up of the area on to any given direction is crucial.


Euregional transportation is characterized by the presence of a varied transportation flow, regional as well as international. Then there is the regional flow between the present companies. The Euregional logistic-industrial complex varies from (petro)chemistry to automotive and international logistics, providing large transportation flows. The current infrastructure (by road and by rail) has reached its capacity limits, therefore new ways have to be found in order to ensure efficient transportation fulfilment in the future.

Companies are fully aware of the problem at hand. Therefore, they have started looking for alternative, innovative solutions in conjunction with regional governmental bodies. The FENIX-project was born out of this co-operation. FENIX is supported by companies and Euregional government, wanting to solve the transportation problem in a creative way. The project also gives opportunity to create added value, such as connecting the Euregional logistic-industrial complex. By creating additional infrastructure opportunities arise to strengthen and extend the logistic-industrial position.

FENIX targets a substantial infrastructural improvement in order to anchor present industries and attract new industries in the region of Belgian Limburg (Hasselt/Genk), Dutch Limburg (Sittard/Geleen) and German Nordrhein-Westfalen (Aachen/Duren). Next to the economical interests and targets, there is also social interest involved in this project. The main goal of the FENIX project is realising an east-west connection between Belgium, Holland and Germany, by crossing the many north-south links in the region.

When these first conditions were met, FENIX was asked in 2008 to execute a definitive feasibility study, taking the following into consideration:
• To what extent government, market en environment are behind FENIX, so that FENIX can be marked as a realistic, feasible plan.
• A concrete manual for parties on how to acquire properties in relation to communal governmental bodies, in relation to infrastructure.
• A concrete manual for the private constructing/operating party on the transportation corridor Hasselt/Genk - Aachen/Duren.

The feasibility study is financed and executed by a consortium consisting of BAM Rail, Siemens and Lloyd's. The consortium is financing this study through execution capacity and fluid assets. Finance and property matters are being 'parked' by RTS in order to optimize cooperation between parties and to ensure feasibility of the whole FENIX project.

The further project route:

• definitive feasibility study (2009)
• planningstudy (2012)
• physical realization (2014)

RTS forms the project directorate, whereas BAM Rail is responsible for daily projectmanagement and connecting the expertise of the other members of the consortium. Communal governmental bodies have been contacted to co-operate. The bodies of Hasselt, Genk, Maasmechelen (B) and Sittard-Geleen (NL) have formalised this conjunction.

With results of two previous feasibility studies, accompanied by Letters of Intent from private parties in Germany and the Netherlands, we can safely induce that we have basically proven the feasibility of this project in terms of finance, technique, commerce, environment and safety. Even national governmental bodies support the realization of the project, given the fact that FENIX has a periodical counsel on federal level in Belgium, Germany and Holland. Active conjunction has already been decided on in all three countries.

A private financier has signed a Letter of Intent in 2007 for the physical realization of the FENIX project. A €200 million budget has been attached.

FENIX is supported by many companies, governmental bodies, and other parties such as:
governmental bodies of Genk, Hasselt, Maasmechelen, Sittard-Geleen;
of SABIC, Chemelot/DSM, Mitsubishi, Rockwool, Arcelor/Mittal, Ford and the Environmental Federation.