Mosel Shipping Resumes on Emergency Basis After Lock Damage

Overview

• Emergency lock operations at Müden on the Mosel River have allowed 74 stranded ships to begin moving, with eight vessels processed in the first 24 hours.
• The damaged lock is operating with a temporary steel gate that is installed and removed for each passage, while a replacement gate is being prepared in Trier.
• Transportation officials estimate that normal operations will not resume until at least March 2025, as significant structural repairs are required.
• The damage, caused by a freight ship collision on December 8, includes cracked concrete and bent walls, though some areas below the waterline suffered less harm than initially feared.
• Industry representatives have called for faster construction of secondary lock chambers to prevent future disruptions to critical inland shipping routes.