Combined transport will continue to grow – that's what the prognoses say. But how can more goods be transported by rail if the infrastructure is at its limit, rail cannot keep up with road in terms of flexibility and price and the argument of sustainability is not valid indefinitely with growing numbers of e-trucks?

At the 4th Combined Transport Forum at the HOLM, representatives of large companies such as Volkswagen and Schaeffler, TFG, DUSS and Autobahn GmbH, as well as a representative of a family business, Spedition Bäumle, showed that combined transport is an attractive alternative in Germany: combining e-trucks with an electrically powered freight train or barge in the pre- and onward carriage not only protects the climate, but above all also the roads – and the drivers can sleep in their own beds at night thanks to the shorter distances.

What is missing? Reliability. Companies are prepared to accept higher transport costs and greater coordination effort for the intermodal transport chain if delivery reliability is maintained.

Join us next time when the Combined Transport Forum enters the next round in 2027!