Intermodal and Synchromodal Freight Transport

To achieve socioeconomic and environmental sustainability, the utilization of existing capacity and assets has become a key challenge for the freight transportation sector. This challenge has been recognized by many scholars, policy makers, and practitioners, leading to a substantial body of new concepts. This chapter addresses intermodal transport, which is supported by the European Commission as well as by national and regional governments, in order to induce a modal shift from road transport to inland waterways and railways. However, the modal shift targets set out by the European Commission are challenging to attain, since the modal split has remained more or less constant over the last two decades in Europe. The chapter thus further focuses on synchromodal transport and digitalization that are to contribute to more transparent, dynamic and flexible solutions that would facilitate the needs of freight transport users.