6. Outlook for intermodal transport

Intermodal transport benefits from a highly favorable environment, but certain conditions have to be met: competitiveness, reliability and quality are essential to attract the decisions of major customers.

The various forms of intermodal transport can therefore show contrasting trends, despite a highly favorable environment.

Combined rail transport has suffered from irregular service quality, and more recently has been penalized by sharp increases in traction costs. Their development will depend on capacity:

• guarantee quality train paths in all time slots of the day (which may lead to the creation of a dedicated freight network or, at least, to giving certain priorities to freight);

• to reduce the effective cost of traction through better train loading, longer...