The position of intermodal and, by extension, combined transport is not negotiable for the industry. “Intermodal has to be treated like passenger rail” was one of the key takeaways of the UIRR-organised online European Intermodal Summit.
Discussions during the event focused on key policy elements like the Capacity Management Regulation and the Combined Transport Directive. Pierpaolo Settembri, Deputy Head of Cabinet of Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas stressed in his opening words that the “modal shift is not going as the Commission wishes, being stagnant in certain areas of Europe while decreasing in others.”
Grabbing this opportunity, Ralf-Charley Schultze, UIRR Director General, underlined that the Commission must reaffirm that the Greening Freight Transport Package will be implemented without omitting key elements.
‘Guarantee that rail freight is prioritised’
Regarding the progress of the Capacity Management Adoption, MEP Tilly Metz was vocal that the European Parliament will not agree on anything below the harmonisation standards. “Harmonisation, binding implementation and more consultation between all stakeholders” are critical, she mentioned.
She explained that the Capacity Management Regulation is in a trialogue phase, and its advancement depends on the Council. Metz added that the process could be transferred to the Danish presidency. On the other hand, MEP Ondrej Kovarik seemed confident that the Polish Presidency is willing to advance negotiations.
On behalf of intermodal operators, Robert Groiss was more pragmatic and straight to the point: “We need more priority for freight trains–we need guarantees that rail will be prioritised and train paths will be secured,” he said. Moreover, responding to a remark by MEP Ondrej Kovarik that a coordination mechanism between Infrastructure Managers is critical for the allocation of slots, Groiss said that Railway Undertakings and Infrastructure Managers of different countries should be treated equally and should be on the same level.
‘Change approach or stay stagnant’
Regarding the Combined Transport Directive, Annika Kroon from DG Move vividly explained how the definition of combined transport has been the Directive’s cracking point. “No compromises were made” in matters like road leg limits or suitable terminals, she stressed. The issue, in this case, was mainly the fragmentation of views between Member States and the Commission.
“We have a way to convince Member States to look at the bigger picture and not only their national interests, considering that 80 per cent of intermodal traffic is international. We intend to conduct another market study to reach an uncontested definition and an easy proof of concept; otherwise, we cannot move forward,” Kroon concluded.
‘We need support’
Industry representatives like Kevin Gründer from duisport and Ben Beirnaert from Combinant also focused on the fragmented views on combined and intermodal transport. As they explained, not every Member State understands their importance, resulting in subsidisation and funding hurdles.
Gründer stressed that most intermodal terminals cannot handle enough trailers or swap bodies as they do not have enough capacity. “It’s becoming very challenging to carry out our planned investments, and we see that there’s a lack of direct funding for terminals,” added Beirnaert.
He continued: “Subsidies are needed. We need support. Imagine that pricing for crane investment in terminals has increased by 66 per cent while our handling costs have increased only by 30 per cent.” As a conclusive remark, Beirnaert proposed that subsidisation gaps between Member States be eliminated via regulation and harmonisation.