After the rains of the past few days, the situation for freight shipping on the Middle Rhine has eased somewhat. The water level near Kaub (Rhein-Lahn district), which is important for ships, was 141 centimeters on Tuesday morning (5:00 a.m.). “Compared to August, this is a significant relaxation and about one meter above the extreme water levels at the time,” said a spokesman for the Rhine Waterways and Shipping Office. It is not yet possible to say to what extent this relaxation will be permanent.
According to the office, the forecasts show falling levels again in the middle of the week. “The low water season is not over yet.” This typically extends over the fall. For the ships, the additional meter of water means they can load more. The Kaub gauge is considered the bottleneck for shipping. The fairway is flatter in no other section of the Middle and Lower Rhine.
