INTERMODAL TRANSPORT CAN HELP SOLVE EUROPE'S TRANSPORT PROBLEMS

Several doubts have been expressed about rail's role in intermodal freight transport, especially combined transport, in Europe. For example, the productivity of intermodal transport in Europe will never catch up with that in the USA. Decreasing road transport prices makes it difficult to obtain profitable intermodal transport. Recent European efforts to free competition in the transport sector have not yet made intermodal transport more competitive than road freight alone. Intermodal transport will survive only with the help of national and local governments. Although all these comments are based on the realities of day-to-day management of intermodal transport, they lack long-term vision about the future of European economies and transport systems. The common concept of 'durable mobility' must be the starting point for constructing integrated transport networks in which intermodal transport will play a part. Freight transport across Europe rose by 30% in the last 30 years and will rise by another 40% by 2010. On present trends, road transport will be the main beneficiary, with disastrous results. To promote intermodal transport, there must be massive reinvestment in rail, more imaginative marketing emphasising the quality of the different door-to-door services provided, and quality control.