An efficient transport system is a prerequisite for the European Union's competitiveness. The role of transport will continue to grow with the growth of international trade, the extension of the Union to include Central and Eastern European countries and the increased cooperation with Mediterranean countries.
The mid-term review of the White Paper 'Time to decide' states that the goal to increase the share of intermodal transport has not been achieved, nor has it been possible to achieve the decoupling of transport movements from the economic development. The review introduces the term co-modality as "the efficient use of different modes on their own and in combination, which will result in an optimal and sustainable utilisation of resources", acknowledging that mobility is important to support economic development and the creation of new jobs. In this revised context, the development of intermodal freight transport becomes part of a policy of integrated logistics to be supported by public efforts to promote interoperability through standardization and other initiatives.
The following pages:
describe activities carried out by CEN in the 'Intermodal' domain.
Improved 'Interoperability' is seen as one of the most promising fields in order to boost efficiency and quality of Europe-wide transport systems, in particular for the freight sector. The future performance of railway networks, integrated transport chains or urban transport infrastructures will heavily depend on achieving a high degree of interoperability within single modes and across inter-connected modes. See:
Other interesting European web sites:
Professional associations
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EIA
European Intermodal Association
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UIRR
International Union of combined Road-Rail transport companies
Intermodal transport
Interoperable networks