On modes, nodes and networks: Technological and spatial conditions for a breakthrough towards multimodal terminals and networks of freight transport in Europe

The market share of trucks in European freight transport is still growing. Avoiding road congestion and other environmental reasons makes a modal shif t towards barge, train and pipes necessary. This shift entails much more th an the substitution of truck kilometres by train or ship kilometres. First, trains and ships do not usually provide door-to-door transport servi ces. A transhipment of freight is necessary to create intermodal logistic c hains. Second, transhipment usually entails high costs and loss of time. There are , however, encouraging developments: strategically located multimodal termi nals can efficiently tranship freight from one mode to another, operating 2 4 h a day. This transhipment can be implemented in an automated, robotized manner. Such technological innovations provide terminals with a promising f uture. Third, freight flows may be too thin to guarantee a satisfactory loading ef ficiency. The solution can be found by rearranging logistic chains to bundl e freight and achieve thicker freight flows. This contribution describes - from a Dutch perspective - current problems o f multimodality in European freight transport and some promising developmen ts concerning terminals and networks. A technological and organizational br eakthrough towards multimodality in freight transport is anticipated. This implies a change in the spatial configuration of freight flows and multimod al terminals along with the optimal choice of a combination of modes. This paper indicates an optimalization problem on a European scale, aiming at th e minimization of private costs and a reduction of environmental costs.