Leading companies and industry associations have launched a joint appeal titled “Save combined transport”. The mobilization aims to denounce how the current worsening of the railway network conditions, particularly acute in Germany, is undermining the effectiveness of this cornerstone of efficient and climate-friendly logistics, with serious repercussions for the European economy and environment.
The initiative, coordinated by the operators Kombiverkehr and Hupac, started by sending an open letter to German decision-makers: the Chairwoman of the DB (Deutsche Bahn) Board of Management, Evelyn Palla, and the Minister of Transport, Patrick Schnieder.
Combined transport, which effectively combines rail and road, explains Hupac in a note, plays a vital role in supply chains, replacing approximately 6 million truck journeys each year in Germany alone. Despite its importance, the system is under unsustainable pressure.
The cause lies in a combination of critical factors, including declining punctuality and train cancellations. To this are added increased operational costs and prolonged total network closures, necessary for its restructuring, aggravated by the lack of competitive alternative routes. If transports were to permanently return to the road, the impact would be dramatic: the sector warns that a 30% regression of combined transport would cause an increase of over 1 million truck journeys and the emission of 1.3 million tonnes of CO2, threatening the security of production chains and economic competitiveness.
To avoid this scenario and give a voice to freight transport users, the initiative has formalized a package of concrete demands for policymakers and infrastructure managers.
Firstly, they call for the cancellation of increases in infrastructure usage charges, meaning a stop to price hikes, similar to what was established for long-distance passenger transport. At the same time, it is crucial to obtain a guarantee of reliable and plannable transport capacity, maintaining at least 90% of current performance, even during the restructuring and construction phases of the corridors.
Regarding infrastructure and operations, they demand the development of alternative routes that are truly competitive and functional, replicating the technical parameters (length, weight, train profile) of the main axes. Furthermore, the initiative calls for the allocation of paths in case of congestion to be based on actual market needs, and the provision of financial compensation for operational limitations suffered when using lower quality paths. Finally, the suspension of penalties for cancellation is necessary until the network quality is restored to an acceptable level.
The initiative, which has also launched an online public petition, has the clear goal of securing and strengthening combined transport as an indispensable pillar for climate policy and European supply.
