The IRPUD inland waterway network contains the most important navigable and non-navigable rivers and canals and some 400 inland and coast ports. For central Europe all locks and elevators are included, whereas for eastern and southern Europe only some important locks and elevators are given. Currently the inland waterway network contains 3,846 links and 4,058 nodes. In addition to current waterways all future projects of the trans-European transport network (TETN) programme of the European Union as specified in Decision 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council are included in the database.

The inland waterway network database contains, inter alia, the following link attributes (see Data Formats):

 - country code
 - link type (river, canalised river, canal)
 - present waterway class
 - future waterway class
 - inclusion in the TETN programme

Via the waterway class additional information on maximal permitted ship dimensions (height, width, length and draught) can be linked to the network. The lock and elevator dimensions follow the waterway classes as well.

The inland waterway network database contains, inter alia, the following node attributes (see Data Formats):

 - country code
 - node identifier
 - node type (e.g. port, lock, elevator)
 - port name
 - number of lock chambers
 - location (x, y coordinates)