Inland port

An inland port is a cargo port on a navigable river, canal, or lake rather than the coast, serving barge and small-ship traffic and acting as a gateway between waterborne transport and road and rail. Berth draft and lock dimensions match the inland fleet under CEMT classification, so vessel size is capped by the smallest lock or channel on the route. Many inland ports double as logistics hubs with container, bulk, and project-cargo handling for a regional hinterland. The inland port shifts long-haul volume off the road network onto barges, cutting cost and emissions per tonne-kilometer.