Combined Transport Growth: Shipment Volume Increases by 2.85%

Improvement of conditions such as the reinstated traffic in the Gotthard Base Tunnel and the restoration of the flood-damaged railway lines in Valencia, as well as the absence of labour action, allowed the normalisation of intermodal rail freight. This led to an increase of Combined Transport traffic performance by 2.85% during the fourth quarter of 2024, said Ralf-Charley Schultze, Director General of UIRR.

Despite the highly anticipated restart of traffic in the Maurienne Valley promised for March, the large number of work sites on the railway infrastructure, coupled with sluggish manufacturing performance of the European economy, has kept the UIRR CT Sentiment Index unchanged at “neutral” for the next 12 months.

Intermodal freight transport and its needs were introduced last November in Brussels to the new European Parliament, with a special focus on the members of the Transport Committee. This was done during a week-long exhibition titled ‘Combined Transport Delivers’, which also served as the kick-off event of the Combined Transport for Europe (CT4EU) Campaign. The campaign aims to bring Combined Transport closer to policymakers and economic actors throughout Europe.

External circumstances such as the war in Ukraine, disruptions in global supply chains, and the results of the European Parliament elections have imposed new demands on economic and political decision-makers. Competitiveness and resilience have become central topics.

Combined Transport has demonstrated its ability to meet these demands by excelling in energy and infrastructure efficiency, labour productivity, accident and fatality prevention, reduced road congestion, and superior environmental and climate performance. Intermodal actors build robust door-to-door freight transportation solutions based on these strengths.

Combined Transport does not need to wait for new technologies or costly investments in alternative fuel infrastructure. The existing transport infrastructure is already sufficient for Combined Transport to make a significant contribution to strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and resilience. Completing ongoing European legislative initiatives and ensuring the correct implementation of existing laws will undoubtedly further enhance this performance.

Foto: Unsplash/Bernd Dittrich, ilustracija