Source: Will longer trucks harm Europe’s rail freight push? – Euractiv

Will longer trucks harm Europe’s rail freight push?

The road freight industry has challenged a study commissioned by the rail sector which found that permitting heavier and longer trucks on EU roads will decrease the percentage of goods moved by trains, increasing emissions and raising societal costs.

The debate comes as lawmakers consider the so-called Weights and Dimensions directive, which sets out the permissible length and tonnage of heavy-duty vehicles on EU roads.

Currently, more than half of all EU goods are transported by road.

Under EU rules, truck manufacturers must reduce emissions by 90% by 2040, meaning the majority of vehicles sold after that date must run on electricity or low-carbon fuels such as hydrogen.

The draft law proposes to increase the length and weight allowed for freight trucks to lay the ground for the switch to zero-emission vehicles, which are generally heavier than their combustion engine counterparts due to battery weight.

Maximum weight laws currently mean that electric trucks can comparatively move fewer goods, making them a less competitive option for freight companies operating with tight margins.

But under new rules put forward by the European Commission in July 2023, such vehicles would be allowed to weigh an additional 4 tonnes, boosting their competitiveness.

Reversing modal shift

However, according to a study conducted by consultants d-fine for the rail industry, the Weights and Dimensions proposal would encourage the use of road freight, leading “on average to a reverse modal shift of up to 21% for all rail segments”.

This could, the study states, result in “up to 10.5 million additional truck journeys per year, emitting up to 6.6 million tonnes of additional CO2 emissions and generating additional external costs amounting up to €2.2 billion”.

The rail freight industry is particularly critical of the use of extra-long trucks made up of multiple trailers, known by the automotive sector as European Modular Systems.

Alberto Mazzola, the executive director of the Community of European Railways (CER), said that the study shows EU policies promoting a modal shift to rail freight “will be jeopardised” by the revised directive.

“This study confirms that the Commission proposal, if approved as it stands, will induce a modal shift from rail to road and as a result increase transport external costs and emissions, reduce road safety, and increase road maintenance costs,” he said.

The rail industry fears were echoed by Green MEP Ciarán Cuffe, who warned that permitting larger trucks will make them more competitive, boosting the number of trucks on the road.

“I am concerned about the impact on road safety, modal shift and wear and tear on our roads brought about by normalising longer and heavier trucks through this proposal – issues downplayed by the Commission,” he told Euractiv in emailed comments.

“I don’t believe the Commission has actually fully accounted for induced demand which is why I fear the impact of longer, heavier trucks on our roads will be much greater than what its impact assessment estimates,” he added.

Criticism

The International Road Transport Union (IRU), a group representing road freight operators, took aim at the study, arguing that it ignores the rapid transition to zero-emission trucks required under EU law, as well as the emissions savings from larger trucks.

“The rail sector should worry less about bashing road transport and more about increasing rail freight capacity by dealing with issues such as the cannibalisation of cargo rail by passenger rail and infrastructure bottlenecks,” Raluca Marian, IRU’s EU advocacy director, told Euractiv.

It is estimated that demand for goods transport will increase by 50% by 2050, meaning that more capacity will be required across all modes, she said.

“Positioning one mode against the other is an outdated way to look at greening transport, ignoring the fundamental realities of how the sector works today in Europe.”

‘The future is to cooperate’

Isabel García Muñoz, a lawmaker with the centre-left S&D group, is responsible for shepherding the law through the European Parliament.

The Spanish MEP told Euractiv that given the foreseen rise in demand for road freight, it is appropriate for lawmakers to put forward policy measures to reduce emissions, particularly whilst rail freight capacity remains insufficient.

García Muñoz supports the Commission proposal to allow an extra 4 tonnes to compensate for the weight of zero-emission technology, as this will enable Europe to “achieve greener trucks with more loading capacity”.

“This proposed revision of [the directive] cannot be the boxing ring of ‘road’ against ‘rail’. The revision is a crucial piece of legislation and of the puzzle to make freight transport greener but complementary to rail capacity,” she told Euractiv in emailed comments.

“The future is to cooperate! All transport modes have to make real efforts to comply with the EU decarbonisation goals,” she added.

MEP Markus Ferber, the centre-right EPP group’s lead on the file, similarly said that the directive is about providing the right incentives to ensure road freight becomes more sustainable.

“Which mode a company ends up choosing depends on the feasibility, attractiveness and competitiveness of each mode,” he told Euractiv.

“The question of how competitive rail is, should not come at the expense of greening our freight transport on European roads,” he added.

By Sean Goulding Carroll | EURACTIV

[Edited by Frédéric Simon]