Kombiverkehr welcomes master plan for rail freight transport and calls for greater commitment at international level
Having spent the previous months and years holding many high-level talks with organisations and policy-makers to campaign for a fair competitive environment for rail and road haulage, Kombiverkehr KG has now achieved a first significant milestone with the announcement of the master plan for rail freight transport. Together with industry representatives, it has managed to persuade much of the political community – not least the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure – that something actually needs to be done for the rail freight transport sector, and especially Combined Transport, if environmental targets and objectives, in particular as regards cutting CO2 emissions, are to be met. The policy document prepared in conjunction with the ministry and the industry organisations can really improve the prospects of the rail freight transport sector in the future once again.
Among other things, Kombiverkehr KG sees the guarantee of an efficient railway infrastructure, the extensive exploitation of potential for innovation and the improvement of general transport policy frameworks as the cornerstones of the master plan. Measures planned for the immediate future include the reduction of route prices, the upgrade of key sections for 740-metre trains and the setting up of a preliminary test area for the digitisation and automation of train composition in the rail freight industry. Ad hoc measures are to be continued and extended, and are seen as corporate contributions made by the sector to modernise rail freight transport. The interest of the government in pushing ahead with more research and development is particularly welcome: on this issue above all, the companies themselves are asked to invest in the railway and exert a positive influence with new ideas.
Kombiverkehr calls on the Ministry of Transport to show the same commitment within European transport policy as it does at national level. International rail freight transport companies and the users of intermodal transport often find that current regulations – for example weights, documents accompanying shipments, tax questions – are interpreted differently in many countries. Consistent regulatory frameworks should be created together with the European Commission in Brussels, as such measures can increase the attractiveness of Combined Transport.
For enquiries relating to this topic please contact:
Kombiverkehr, Head of Corporate Communications and Sales Support, Jan Weiser
Phone +49 69/7 95 05-1 42 or
jweiser@kombiverkehr.de