The German Federal Statistical Office forecasts an increase of 28.8 million metric tons in freight volumes in Germany by 2026. Will the infrastructure be able to handle this?

One thing is clear: a single mode of transport will not be enough to handle this volume. However, combined road-rail freight transport (CT) can make a decisive contribution to managing these freight volumes in a sustainable and more flexible manner.

At the same time, extensive infrastructure maintenance projects, rising costs, and limited capacity in rail freight transport are hindering its development. In the latest issue of „Internationales Verkehrswesen“ 23, Ren Kajiyama and Prof. Ralf Elbert jointly present measures – evaluated by industry experts – that can specifically strengthen combined transport, ranging from the use of digital platforms to increasing terminal capacities.

The measures were identified in the “CT-Radar 2025” research project and evaluated for their feasibility and potential impact on market share. They cover the areas of policy, infrastructure, cooperation and coordination, as well as technology and the market.

Of particular interest is the fact that respondents consider the expansion of rail infrastructure – especially transshipment terminals – to be urgently needed. However, implementation is considered difficult due to limited available space.

The study clearly shows one thing: Despite the multitude of promising approaches, careful consideration must be given to which measures can be implemented to strengthen the competitiveness of combined transport in the long term. The discussion of the assessments and recommendations from the “CT-Radar” is therefore of great importance for the further development of freight transport in Germany.

In 2027, the CT-Radar will enter the next round. Until then, you can learn more here about the measures that can strengthen CT in the long term.