Rhine-Alpine Transport Study
17013
From 2017 to 2018
The Rhine-Alpine transport study examines the costs and benefits of rail freight transport, with a focus on the potential to shift traffic from road to rail. TML contributed to the data collection, data analysis, and ex ante impact analyses, using the rail corridor cost model developed by TML.
The first Transport Market Study (2013) for the Rhine-Alpine corridor showed that bridging the existing gaps and achieving the European TEN-T standards could bring a lot of potential benefits for the railway companies involved. Following up on this, this Rhine-Alpine transport study aims to examine the costs and benefits of the following aspects for the corridor in question:
- The receptivity of rail freight, and more specifically the potential to shift traffic from road to rail.
- Heavier trains: the optimal train weight for trains with a length of 740 metres.
- Faster trains: thanks to the reduction in the number of (non-commercial) stops.
- More reliable trains, achieving higher punctuality standards and providing information on delays (expected time of arrival).
- Ways in which the competitiveness of freight transport along the Rhine-Alpine corridor can be increased through the specific cost savings associated with these three topics.
Within the international consortium that carried out this project, TML deployed its experience in relation to the thematic areas relevant to this study. In addition, TML has in-depth knowledge of the Benelux region.
In carrying out this project, TML combined its extensive state-of-the-art expertise in data collection and data analysis with a thorough knowledge of (all possible forms of) freight transport. In addition, TML has solid expertise in ex-ante impact analyses.
Over the past decade, TML was responsible for several studies on rail transport, including several market studies, a study on optimising the infrastructure charge, the development of a cost-benefit model and its update and several cost-benefit analyses.
Among others, the rail corridor cost model, a model developed by TML itself, was used to carry out this study.
