Rail Freight for Intermodal

Market share: Intermodal rail filled every third freight train in 2010 and every second freight train in 2020.  This dynamic went unnoticed for the external audience of inland freight transport as the market share of rail freight stagnated during the same decade-long period.

Technical parameters: 740m long (or longer), 2000t gross weight (or heavier) freight trains with 22,5t axles and driven by ERTMS-compliant electric locomotives are the offering of the rail sector to intermodal operators.  The gradual transition from shorter and generally lighter freight trains to those characterised by the aforementioned (TEN-T) technical parameters has been ongoing since 2013.  It has contributed to making intermodal the only growing production system of rail freight.

The P400 loading gauge: The intermodal sector requires one additional (infrastructure) parameter: the 4m clearance over the rails, also known as the ‘P400 loading gauge’, which enables the seamless transport of standard semi-trailers in the simplest pocketwagons requiring the most commonplace vertical intermodal transhipment technique (if the trailer is craneable).  It must be noted that there are intermodal rail technologies which enable non-craneable semi-trailers to be carried by intermodal trains: Modalohr is a prime example.

Traction service provider: A new category of railway undertaking has emerged as of late, a sub-category of rail freight undertakings, the traction service provider (TSP).  TSPs operate locomotives, employ drivers, drive trains, carry out wagon inspection and organise train paths, if needed, for intermodal freight trains.  In such cases, the intermodal operators provide the wagons, which make up the train that carries the intermodal loading units.

Authorised applicant: (Article 15 of Regulation 913/2010 on Rail Freight Corridors) Notwithstanding Article 16(1) of Directive 2001/14/EC, applicants other than railway undertakings or the international groupings that they make up, such as shippers, freight forwarders and combined transport operators, may request international pre-arranged train paths specified in Article 14(3) and the reserve capacity specified in Article 14(5). In order to use such a train path for freight transport on the freight corridor these applicants shall appoint a railway undertaking to conclude an agreement with the infrastructure manager in accordance with Article 10(5) of Directive 91/440/EEC.

New rail freight technologies: Wagon manufacturers, sensor developers and other industry suppliers continuously develop rail freight technologies such as digital automatic couplers, disc brake bogies, electro-pneumatic braking, as well as a host of other technical solutions beneficial to intermodal rail.  These are followed by UIRR under the Wagons and Intermodal Loading Units topic.