Intermodal transportation

Demand for transport has grown significantly in Europe over recent decades and its nature has changed profoundly. Transport of solid bulk goods, such as minerals and coal, has declined significantly due to the development of gas, oil, and nuclear energy, and the decline in steel production in Europe. Conversely, the transport of products with a higher value per kilogram has grown significantly, and the need to improve productivity has led to just-in-time delivery, just-in-time production, and the splitting of shipments to reduce inventories at all stages of the production and distribution process.

Rail transport, which is well suited to large bulk shipments, has declined, as has river transport, in favor of road transport. The growth of road transport is now generating increasing levels of pollution that are less and less accepted by the public, and the search for sustainable development solutions based on more environmentally friendly modes of transport is intensifying.

The highly regulated rail sector, designed to ensure a high level of safety, has faced the challenge of liberalization, which incumbent companies have found more or less difficult to meet. The reduction in shipment sizes has continued, with the rapid advance of digitalization in transport posing an additional challenge. Alternatives to road transport are unable to meet market requirements (dispersion of production units and the need for detailed coverage of consumption areas). It is therefore natural that solutions using several modes of transport in succession have emerged in order to make the best use of the qualities of each while maintaining the overall competitiveness of the transport chain.

Intermodal transport has thus emerged and is gradually gaining ground in certain market segments. It has grown very strongly in Europe over the last 15 years, with a 50% increase in tonne-kilometers, despite a setback linked to Covid, which is now being overcome. In France, it has remained stable between 2000 and 2021, accounting for 40.5% of rail freight transport with 13.8 million ton-km, compared to 24.8% in 2000. Its very favorable characteristics compared to road transport in terms of GHG emissions give it solid prospects for development in the coming years, provided that the train paths offered to it are of high quality, that terminal infrastructure is developed in parallel, and that the weight and dimension rules applicable to road transport remain stable.