Learning from the effects of past crises allows the transport sector to handle future crises effectively and proactively. The goal of this paper is to identify and classify types of crises that have hit Europe in the previous 20 years and to identify the effects of these crises on the freight transport modes. Moreover, further research on each transport mode is derived. To reach this goal, we conducted a systematic literature review by using five well-known databases, which resulted in 296 search results, of which 29 references were relevant. We identified four crises that hit the freight transport modes in the previous 20 years in Europe: the 2008 financial crisis, the 2015 migration crisis, the 2020 COVID-19 crisis, and the ongoing climate crisis. However, the effects of the different crises on the transport modes can be both positive (e.g., the introduction of a new maritime slow-steaming service) or negative (e.g., a reduction in safety). The insights, gaps, and future research directions identified will encourage researchers, as well as practitioners, to learn from previous crises and be prepared for proactive actions during future crises, thus contributing to more reliable and sustainable transportation systems.

The aim of this paper is to develop and evaluate new design options for barges for the economically viable transport of 45’ standard high-cube containers. Special attention was given to the potential performance of the new designs for navigation during low water periods on the Danube. To reach this aim, a four-step approach was conducted: first, a literature review was conducted, second, a scenario was selected leading to defined waterways and goods, third, the results were visualized, and fourth, the design options were evaluated. The research resulted in six design options for barges optimized for accommodating 45’ standard high-cube containers. The barges should serve the Danube stretch between Enns/Austria and Giurgiu/Romania. A major conclusion is that which of the six barge designs fits best depends on the business case, since each of the options have several advantages and disadvantages which have to be investigated such as a different loading capacity. A barge being able to carry between 24 and 90’ standard high cube containers.