The Rhine in Germany has fallen to new lows during a continued heatwave, disrupting one of Europe’s key inland freight routes. Inland navigation agency WSV said navigable water depth at Kaub, a critical chokepoint near Koblenz, dropped to 15 cm on Tuesday, below the previous record low of 25 cm in 2018, even though the river itself is about 1 metre deeper than the navigable depth. Traders said commercial sailings through Kaub had essentially stopped, with some vessels south of the bottleneck at risk of being trapped, while northern sections of the river were still operating. Shallow water and scarce rainfall mean cargo vessels can sail only 20% loaded, forcing freight to be split across multiple part-loaded ships and raising costs. Ship operators had warned a day earlier that low water at Kaub could halt commercial shipping this week, and large volumes of freight are already being shifted to trucks after some German authorities relaxed weekend driving bans. Analysts said the record low water risks weighing on German economic growth just as the economy is showing early signs of recovery. The Rhine is an important transport route for grains, minerals, coal and refined oil products.