Intermodal rail transport in selected European countries

Abstract

Paper presents analysis of intermodal rail transport in selected loading units. The brief description of the loading units is presented. The volume of intermodal rail transport of load units in European countries in 2021 is shown, taking into account mass of transported goods, transport performance and average transport distance. Goods in the intermodal transport are carried out in container, swap bodies, semi-trailers and road sets. The most frequently used loading unit is the container. Semi-trailers is the most often used loading unit in road freight transport. However, semitrailers are rarely used in intermodal transport in most European countries. In the case of Poland, the share of intermodal transport of containers and swap bodies by rail constitutes a significant share in the European market, however, the transport of semi-trailers and road sets is still a rather unpopular form of transport compared to other European countries.

Combined freight transport terminals in Germany – current state and development prospects

“…The development of intermodal transport in Europe over the last two decades and the predicted increase of cargo flows make it necessary to build new and expand existing intermodal terminals serving loading units moved by various means of transport [13,20]. On the other hand, terminals are also an attractive place for the implementation of innovations, in particular railways [1][2][3][4].…”