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Europe seeks to increase the volume of intermodal transportation, but this process may take time

In Europe, there are many common opinions regarding the increase in the volume of rail transportation within the framework of the development of intermodal logistics transportation. More rail transport means fewer trucks on the road, which in turn leads to less congestion and less CO2 emissions.

However, despite numerous examples of companies willing to invest in rail freight, there have also been a few warning signs recently.

A recent report based on the findings of the European Court of Auditors analyzed six countries. Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany and Poland – none are fully ready to work with intermodal chains to a greater extent.

Shortly after the release of this report, the Swedish Transport Agency published a study which showed that despite the obvious interest in rail freight, lack of capacity and poor punctuality are putting off interested parties. Jonathan Sundin, an inspector at the Swedish Transport Agency, called the results of the study “alarming”. In his opinion, the stagnation of rail transport in Sweden is a cause for concern, as rail transport is losing competitiveness compared to road transport.

The report points to poor punctuality, which creates uncertainty that deliveries will be made on time, which subsequently hinders planning and increases costs.

The study also warns that if the above-mentioned problems are not solved, logistics companies may abandon rail transport.