The advantages of combined road/rail freight transport (CT) are obvious: less CO₂, fewer traffic jams, greater attractiveness for drivers. The German government also predicts that combined transport will grow by 76% by 2051, and yet there are still many hurdles to overcome!

Today, combined transport trains run as scheduled shuttle connections between terminals – without intermediate stops. This limits efficiency and flexibility.

This is precisely where our new research project comes in. The central question is: Could a cargo cooperation between CT operators help to make CT services more attractive, more flexible and more economical? One possible solution: additional loads that are handled at further intermediate stops can increase the capacity utilization and thus the profitability of CT trains.

Together with strong partners, we are investigating:

• Which cooperation models between CT operators are conceivable?
• How can a transport network contribute to better bundling of loading units?
• What operational and economic conditions need to be met?

How can CT stakeholders cooperate in practice and increase efficiency and flexibility in combined transport? Find out more about the project here.

Many thanks to the Hessen Agentur and the House of Logistics and Mobility for funding the project.