[17/07/25] Accident at the St. Aldegund Lock: River traffic resumes on the Moselle in Germany

Since July 9, 2025, both downstream and upbound vessels may pass through the lock, subject to some special operating measures :

• Transits are only permitted during daytime hours to ensure that vessels position themselves correctly according to the specific markings in place in the lock (visible only during daylight hours).
• Private pleasure boats must group together and can only pass through the lock during specific time slots.
• Passenger boats pass through the lock without passengers on board.
• Weekly stops are scheduled to allow for diver inspections and monitoring of the condition of the underwater parts of the gate and the civil engineering.

Therefore, the lock is scheduled to be closed from 10 AM to 1 PM :

• In July: the 14th, 21st, and 28th
• In August: the 4th, 11th, 18th, and 24th

In its statement dated July 8, the WSA announced that if the current system were to fail, an emergency lock system using cofferdamming could be implemented while awaiting repairs to the damaged infrastructure.

For real-time updates on navigation conditions on the German network, please refer to the ELWIS notices.

VNF is in contact with boatmen to inform them, discuss situations, and ensure the safety of boats and moorings.

VNF is also in contact with transport professionals and shippers and maintains regular communication with the WSA Moselle-Saar-Lahn (Wasserstraßen- und Schifffahrtsamt Mosel-Saar-Lahn), the German shipping service that operates the damaged lock.

A replacement gate is under construction and is scheduled for delivery in the fall.

Previous status updates

Update as of July 10

Starting Saturday, July 5, 2025, the first emergency lock operations for downstream vessels were carried out, and test lock operations for upbound vessels began on July 8.

Since July 9, 2025, both downstream and upbound vessels may pass through the lock, subject to some special operating measures :

• Transits are only permitted during daytime hours to ensure that vessels position themselves correctly according to the specific markings in place in the lock (visible only during daylight hours).
• Private pleasure boats must group together and can only pass through the lock during specific time slots.
• Passenger boats pass through the lock without passengers on board.
• Weekly stops are scheduled to allow for diver inspections and monitoring of the condition of the underwater parts of the gate and the civil engineering.

Therefore, the lock is scheduled to be closed from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.:

• In July: the 14th, 21st, and 28th
• In August: the 4th, 11th, 18th, and 24th

VNF is in contact with boatmen to inform them, discuss situations, and ensure the safety of boats and moorings.

VNF is also in contact with transport professionals and shippers and maintains regular communication with the WSA Moselle-Saar-Lahn (Wasserstraßen- und Schifffahrtsamt Mosel-Saar-Lahn), the German shipping service that operates the damaged lock.

A replacement gate is under construction and is scheduled for delivery in the fall.

Update as of July 7

On the afternoon of Wednesday, July 2, a passenger boat collided with a gate of the St. Aldegund lock on the German Moselle between Trier and Koblenz. The gate was damaged, and the lock was closed to navigation. As a result, international traffic is temporarily interrupted on the cross-border Moselle River in both directions. Internal connections on the French network and up to the Trier area are still possible.

Voies Navigables de France (VNF) teams have identified all the boats currently present on the French network. About fifteen boats have been identified, they are mainly under Belgian and Dutch flags. Ten of them are transporting cereals, mostly located at the port of Metz. VNF is in contact with the boatmen to inform them, discuss the situations, and ensure their safety.

VNF is also in contact with transport professionals and shippers and maintains regular communication and with the German navigation services WSA Moselle-Saar-Lahn (Wasserstraßen- und Schifffahrtsamt Mosel-Saar-Lahn), which manage the damaged lock.

In its notice to shipping No. 2025/1808/0 of July 2, the German navigation service indicates that the St. Aldegund lock will be closed until July 6. It estimates that about fifty ships are currently upstream of the damaged lock. A damage assessment is underway to evaluate the possibilities of resuming traffic.