Truck to train

For those who want to know more: the booklet 'From Truck to Train – 12 Examples Of Successful Modal Shifts in Freight Transport” brings to life the otherwise tedious lists of traffic statistics. It portrays 12 companies that have in recent years shifted freight transport from the roads on to the railways – simply because trains offer better performance in terms of price, scheduling and reliability. The booklet includes international companies such as BASF and Porsche that move their products across European borders, but also smaller firms with shorter transport distances.

The argument put forward by supporters of longer and heavier trucks that mega trucks will be needed to cope with increasing volumes of transported goods is therefore just as absurd as the criticism that the railways cannot meet the logistical requirements demanded by industry. The developments in recent years prove the opposite.

The current upward trend enjoyed by the railways also makes it clear that rail freight's potential for growth is by no means exhausted. Whereas rail freight's share of the market in Europe is only 17 percent of total transport performance, it reaches between 40 and 50 percent in other economic regions that are Europe's global competitors.