6. Intermodal transport outlook

Intermodal transport benefits from a very favorable environment, but certain conditions must be met: competitiveness, reliability, and quality (equivalent to that of road transport) are essential in order to influence the decisions of major contractors.

The various forms of intermodal transport may therefore experience contrasting developments despite very favorable factors, such as the ecological transition aimed at decarbonizing transport and the shortage of truck drivers.

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

• to guarantee high-quality train paths in all time slots throughout the day (which may lead to the creation of a dedicated freight network...