CO2

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Kick-off year : 2001 Title : CO2 reduction through Combined Transport Programme : PACT Status : Completed

The objective of this project was to obtain a realistic picture of the environmental performance of combined transport. The project partners had chosen relations, which are representative for today’s combined transport. While the focus was mainly put on the most current road-rail techniques (the transport of swap bodies, containers and semi-trailers in block trains) three relations using the rolling motorway have been examined as well. The analysed corridors represent 631.000 consignments (one consignment is equal to the capacity of a heavy road vehicle), 28% of UIRR’s traffic and approximately 15 to 20% of total European combined transport.

On all corridors, typical transports by road were compared with typical cases of combined transport. Always two versions are calculated:

  1. Road versus CT chain: all modes used from origin to destination, including the initial and final road leg, the main rail part and in one case the ferry.
  2. Road versus Rail per kilometre: to compare the specific performance of the two modes.

The main results

If we take road as a benchmark (100%), a transfer to the rail mode in unaccompanied combined transport will reduce the emissions to 40% only. This means reductions of 60%! Even the Rolling Motorways with their higher deadweight allow a CO2 reduction of 23%.

Related documents
Summary report DE EN FR
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