European intermodal grew in 2025 even if hampered by construction sites
(Automated translation)
Friday, 22 May 2026
- According to the surveys of the Uirr, l trasporto the transport iron v intermodal air of Europe reached in 2025 almost 3.9 million shipments, with an overall growth of 1.48% compared to the previous year and an increase of the gross tons transported of 3.72%, to 81.03 million. The domestic component has driven the result, with the French market expanding thanks to the opening of new terminals and the start-up of new services.
- Cross-border traffic, on the other hand, contracted by 1.13%, with negative peaks on the routes crossing Germany: the Germany-Poland relationship lost 66% of the volumes, that Germany-Hungary 38%, while the Germany-Italy route gave up 11%, equal to 57,879 shipments lost. Extraordinary maintenance work on the German network imposed deviations on lines with lower technical parameters, with cascading effects on punctuality and costs.
- IThe new Rail Infrastructure Capacity Management Regulation is the main legislative achievement of the year, promising better quality tracks for cross-border freight trains through a coordinated network approach. On the other hand, the revision of the Combined Transport Directive, which the EEuropean Commission threatened to withdraw in 2026, remains pending.
European intermodal rail transport has closed 2025 with overall positive but deeply uneven geographical . According ito the report "Uirr 2025-26: Time to Combine", published by the Union the international transport companies combined road-rail, this sector has carried out a total of 3,898,621 shipments, equal to a growth of 1.48% compared to year n or earlier, while the gross tons transported reached 81.03 million, with an annual increase of 3.72%. Performance in terms of tons-kilometers, del by 2.2%, also grew, a sign of better use of the available capacity along the routes traveled. But behind these aggregated numbers hides a structural fracture between two opposing dynamics: the vibrancy of domestic transport and the suffering of the cross-border one.
The French domestic market was the main driver of growth. The opening of terminals and the start-up of new services fueled an expansion of the domestic sector of 7.1%, with the volume of domestic shipments rising from 1,228,202 to 1,315,290 units. France has confirmed its position of reference for the development of intermodality on a national scale, thanks also to policies to encourage the railway transport of goods that have stimulated demand along the main internal guidelines.
Conversely, ithe overall , which represents the largest share of the sector's volumes, filed a negative year, with a decline of 1.13% and a volume dropped from 2,612,834 to 2,583,331 shipments. The Uirr report accurately identified the cause of this downturn: the prolonged extraordinary maintenance work on the German railway network has produced devastating effects on the fluidity of international flows. Temporary closures of high-capacity segments forced carriers to route convoys on alternative lines with reduced silhouettes, higher slopes and lower commercial speeds. For some operators, the additional costs generated by these deviations exceeded 30%. The loss of punctuality made services less reliable than road competition, triggering in some cases a reverse modal shift, with loads that have returned to the road, after years of rail growth.
The data by geographical relationship accurately document the scope of this phenomenon. The Germany-Poland director recorded a 66% drop in volumes, Germany-Hungary of 38%, while the Germany-Italy relationship gave up 11%, corresponding to 57,879 shipments lost in a single year on one of the most important axis for European trade. On the other hand, the guidelines that could benefit from alternative routes or that do not depend on the German network showed opposite trends: the Belgium-Romania report grew by 44%, Belgium-Spain by 38%, reporting a partial geographical redistribution of intermodal flows.
The number of units handled in the of the companies participating in the Uirr has suffered a reduction of 4.81%, falling to 6.54 million total movements. This figure, apparently in contradiction to the growth in the number of shipments, reflects the congestion that characterized many nodes of the network, with delays that have accumulated in the yards and reduced the actual rotation of the loading units.
The composition of traffic by type of intermodal unit confirms the consolidated structure of the sector. The containers represent 81% of the units handled, followed by the semi-trailers with 14% and the traveling highway, with 4%. The wagon fleet carrireflects this distribution: out of a total of 15,348 units, 11,225 are container carriers. During 2025 the fleet of high-productivity wagons expanded by 1,268 units, as it testifies to the availability of rolling stock appropriate to the growth ambitions of the sector, provided that the infrastructure allows it to be used effectively.
On the regulatory level, 2025 has produced a result that has been expected for years: ithe new R regulation on the management of the capacity of the railway infrastructure has entered the European legislative framework with the explicit support of the intermodal sector. The measure introduces a coordinated network approach, overcoming the old concept of corridors that had shown its limits in terms of flexibility and geographical coverage. The regulation should ensure better quality hourly tracks for cross-border freight trains, reducing capacity conflicts with passenger traffic in the most critical sections of the day.
On the other hand, the dossier on the revision of the Directive D , a legislative instrument governing the conditions of market access and incentives for intermodal operators, remains unresolved. The EEuropean Commission has indicated its intention to withdraw the proposed revision in 2026 if no agreement is reached in the trilogue and ithe sector considers this risk a concrete threat to the continuity of the regulatory framework to support intermodality.
The Uirr report documents a number of unilateral national measures that complicate cross-border operation. In Switzerland, following the accident at the Gotthard tunnel, the A Authority introduced new maintenance rules that weigh on wagon holders in a ritenuto disproportionate manner. In Denmark, specific rules on wagon-pockets will remain in place until 2027, despite the adoption of uniform European standards. In the field of intermodality, the revision of the Irective D on the weights and size of vehicles is following carefully, concerned that any facilities for large vehicles - such as Eurocombs - can reduce the competitiveness of iron compared to rubber on some routes.
The geopolitical context has added additional variables to this landscape. Tensions in the Middle East help to maintain high volatility in diesel prices, indirectly strengthening the competitive advantage of rail transport in terms of energy efficiency. The Uirr report also points out the growing interest in the role of intermodal terminals under the Military Mobility Regulation, which recognises the dual-use potential - civilian and military - of these infrastructures.
Digital transformation has continued to advance along already defined trajectories in previous years. The entry into force of the new TSI Telematics specifications in March 2026 requires the sharing of data along the entire logistics chain, from taking charge of the goods to delivery. Uirr coordinates several European projects in this field: Bridge supports the implementation of TSI Telematics, Trans4m-R develops a computer system for the verification of the quality of multimodal transport, while ReMuNet is a digital platform for the management of interruptions and optimization of routes in real time. At the same time, eFti standards for the electronic transmission of freight transport information, and Ediges, for the digital exchange of data between infrastructure managers and railway operators are advancing.
Antonio Illariuzzi