Europe is growing, and it is growing together. The economy is organised along the lines of the division of labour, resulting in a constant increase in freight traffic. The total volume of freight traffic on the corridor is expected to double by 2020. The transport infrastructure, in particular the road network, has long since come to the limits of its capability. One answer to this challenge is to bring about an increased shift of freight transport from the road to the rail. These efforts are supported by the performance capabilities of rail freight transport together with the ecological advantages.

In contrast to road freight transport, rail freight transport consumes only 1/3 of the energy, with only one seventh of the environmental burden. The political and social aim is to enhance the rail share of the total transport volume from 15% in 2001 to 25% in 2020. It is in particular the long-haul transports which are suitable for increasing the rail share of the market. The anticipated market growth is five times higher for distances exceeding 1,000 km than for distances less than 700 km.

Modal split on the Corridor

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Environmental Comparison of transport modes: general figures

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Environmental Comparison of transport modes: example Rotterdam - Genoa

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