Central Europe moves lorries to rails

Demand for intermodal transport has grown steadily in Central Europe until last year and the start of the economic downturn. The freight volumes of members of International Union of combined Road-Rail transport companies (UIRR) grew by 32 percent in 2003–2008. During the same period international combined transport volumes grew by 43 percent. In 2008 UIRR companies transported 2.6 million lorries or trailers by rail.

EU countries have sought to promote combined transports for environmental and safety reasons. Terminals have been built and technical systems harmonized.

The most effective way to move road transports to trains has, however, been to impose restrictions on lorry transports. In Germany it is forbidden for lorries to drive on Sundays and during holiday seasons also on Saturdays. For instance, many detachable trailers arriving in Finland from southern Germany travel through Germany by train during the weekend.

Switzerland and Austria have been particularly enthusiastic in developing combined transports as the Alpine countries want to reduce lorry traffic in mountain passes and tunnels. Approximately three quarters of the total European combined transport volume is transalpine traffic.

The combined transports network covers nearly the entire continent all the way to Turkey. The largest companies such as Swiss Hupac and German Kombiverkehr have their own Europe-wide networks. Hupac transports annually over 700 000 lorries in their Shuttle Net network.

The largest companies have continuously enlarged their networks. For example Intercontainer offers several weekly services from Rotterdam harbour to six Intercontainer terminals in southern Europe. Connections are available all the way to Romania.

In France combined transport services have developed at a slower pace than in other large European countries. The pioneer has been LorryRail transporting lorries on its over 1000 kilometre line from the Mediterranean to northern France.

A special characteristic of Central European combined transports is RoLa, Rollende Landstrasse, or "moving road". In this form of combined transport drivers travel with the lorries in their own sleeping-car compartments. Last year Austrian ÖKombi transported 330 000 lorries over the Alps in its RoLa trains.