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A network of around 2,200 kilometers of expressways links every important town or city in NRW directly and quickly to the European expressway system. Almost every place of importance in the state has its own expressway entrance and exit. There are also around 4,900 km of federal highways, 12,800 km of country roads and 9,800 km of local district roads in North Rhine-Westphalia.
NRW has the densest railway network in Germany. Track length amounts up to 6,500 km. NRW is an important hub in the high-speed rail network. Prime examples are the Thalys connections to Brussels and Paris, as well as ICE high-speed line from Cologne via Frankfurt/Main to Basel. The central station in Cologne is one of Europe's busiest railway junctions (280,000 travelers and 1,230 trains every day). Deutsche Bahn AG, as well as numerous regional rail, tram and suburban train systems, provide daily local public transport services.
NRW lies at the intersection of major European waterways and, although the state has no coastline, connections to important European seaports are ensured. 226 kilometers of the Rhine, Germany's most important waterway, flow through NRW. NRW is by far the largest location for inland ports in Germany. 120 ports (23 public and 97 private) handle around 104.5 million tons of goods a year. The Duisburg freight hub is the world's largest inland port, and Europe’s largest overseas harbor, Rotterdam, is also easily reachable via the Rhine waterway. Overall, 720 kilometers of inland waterway flow through NRW.
The two major international airports – Düsseldorf International and Cologne Bonn Airport – as well as additional airports with European connections in Dortmund, Münster/Osnabrück, Paderborn and Weeze connect the state to all major German domestic destinations as well as to cities and holiday regions all over the world. In total, there are more than 450 direct international connections.
With around 18 million passengers Düsseldorf International Airport is the third-largest passenger airport in Germany following Frankfurt/Main and Munich. With over 10 million passengers Cologne Bonn Airport ranks number one in the low-cost segment throughout Europe; it is also Germany's second-largest air cargo center. The major cities of Europe can all be reached within three hours by air from NRW.
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