The frequency of the rail shuttle service between the Port of Rotterdam and Munich/Nuremberg is to be increased from four to six trains a week.

The shuttle to southern Germany was started two years ago by European Gateway Services (part of ECT) and TX Logistics, one of Europe's largest rail operators, a statement from the Rotterdam port authority said.

"We are receiving an increasing number of enquiries from customers who are seeking a train service via the Port of Rotterdam," said TCU Transcontainer-Universal rail procurement chief Nils-Olaf Klabunde.

"Important decision factors are transit times and costs. A connection via Rotterdam can be faster and cost competitive in comparison to transit via German ports. We at TCU would like to see the service develop into a daily shuttle as soon as possible."

In the first nine months of the year, 15 million tonnes of roll on/roll off cargo was handled at the port of Rotterdam, eight per cent more than over the same period in 2013. This increase is due almost entirely to the growth of the British economy.

Ro/ro transport from Rotterdam to England focuses mainly on foodstuffs, as well as consumer durables such as furniture, white goods, hygienic paper products and car parts.

GlobalFruit.com owner Peter Davis said that the facilities in Rotterdam for fresh produce are unrivalled. "It is faster for us to get the produce from the ship in Rotterdam and then truck it over to England, it is also cost effective.

"The British supermarkets' distribution centres for fresh produce are supplied within small time windows, like those of Albert Heijn, Carrefour or Lidl on the continent. The sailing schedules of the Rotterdam ferry services are therefore extremely tight," he said.