How do intermodal terminals tackle infrastructure challenges such as capacity constraints and coordination hiccups? Our students set out to find answers—and they did!

The German logistics sector is currently facing a real tour de force: A shortage of skilled workers, rising costs, rail networks in need of renovation and bumps on the digital data highway are just some of the tasks that need to be mastered. In the face of such challenges, creative and flexible thinking counts more than ever before.

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?

For this to work, in addition to locomotives, wagons, train paths and personnel, we need one thing above all else: data. It will be difficult to get more freight onto the rails if we don't have reliable information about the availability and utilization of the rail network and equipment.

Production, logistics, and traffic aren’t separate islands. When they converge, they create a powerful ecosystem where innovation thrives, efficiency increases, and supply chains evolve. It is not just about moving goods—it is about rethinking how we design, build, and deliver in a world shaped by digital transformation.

Did you know that a good 70% of all freight transport on Germany's roads is carried out by semi-trailers, of which only a single-digit percentage can be lifted by crane?

Why does Autobahn GmbH want more freight to be shifted from road to rail? Clearly, a freight train has the greater transport volume and can replace up to 52 trucks; this would significantly reduce traffic on Germany's highways. But that's not all: a truck weighing 30 tons puts up to 50,000 times more strain on the road than a small car.

Unpredictable events such as accidents and storms, which occur more frequently due to climate change, cause considerable economic damage in continental transport chains. Intermodal transport chains such as Combined Road/Rail Freight Transport (CT) are particularly sensitive to such disruptions due to their complexity. Shippers, carriers and freight forwarders are forced to reroute their shipments to alternative routes to the nearest transshipment point or to the customer.

Prof. Ralf Elbert, Paul Bossong and Dr. Anne Reinhard address this question in their latest research paper, “Digital platforms in intermodal freight transport: an analysis of emerging business models and their future dynamics”, recently published in the International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management (IJPDLM)!

On 27. Januar 2025, our enthusiastic students from the course “Airport Management” had the incredible opportunity to explore Frankfurt (Main) Airport up close. Guided by visiting lecturer Michaela Schultheiß-Münch and our research associate Ren Kajiyama, they got an exclusive look into the complex world of airport operations.