Combined road-rail transport in Europe closed 2024 with encouraging results, despite numerous interruptions across the railway network that hampered operations. This was confirmed by the general assembly of Uirr, the organisation representing intermodal road-rail transport operators, which reported a 5.19% increase in the total number of shipments and an even stronger rise in tonne-kilometres, up by 8.41%. The latter figure reflects greater efficiency, due to an increase in the average weight of cargo carried in loading units.
The main driver of this growth was national combined transport services, which posted a sharp 10.6% rise, with particularly strong performances in France and Poland. Cross-border routes, by contrast, showed a more modest increase of 2.74%, affected by challenges related to interoperability issues and border crossings. This trend was especially evident on corridors running through Germany, where an intense programme of railway works – exacerbated by incidents and daily disruptions – caused a 1.5% drop in performance, as also reported in the Semesterbericht published by the German authority Bav. On the other hand, other corridors not yet affected by construction works reported significantly better outcomes, helping to sustain the overall flow of international traffic.
The year 2024 was also marked by events that had a severe economic impact on sector operators. The landslide in the Maurienne Valley, for instance, led to the closure of the Fréjus railway line – the main freight link between France and Italy – for nineteen months. The derailment in the Gotthard base tunnel halved the tunnel’s capacity, while work on the German rail network, often extensive and poorly coordinated, made service planning even more difficult.
Despite this complex landscape, the combined transport community continued to grow. New terminals in Romania, Poland, Belgium and the Netherlands joined during the year, along with technology partners specialising in the production of rail wagons and digital solutions. Several stakeholders from Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic also signed memoranda of understanding. Overall, the Uirr network now includes 112 members, confirming a steady expansion of cooperation at the continental level.
During the assembly, member representatives reviewed the status of key ongoing European legislative files, including the Combined Transport Directive, the Regulation on railway capacity management, the Directive on vehicle weights and dimensions, and the proposal for telematic interoperability. Discussions also addressed the forthcoming Multiannual Financial Framework of the Union for the 2028–2034 period, the level of funding allocated to infrastructure projects through the Connecting Europe Facility, the development of digital automatic coupling for trains, and the reform of European research and innovation programmes.
The proceedings also included an analysis of findings from European investigations into railway incidents, in particular the Jns Crosswind inquiry concerning the transport of semi-trailers on pocket wagons. Considerable attention was also given to the progress in implementing regulations on eFTI – the electronic freight transport information system – and on the Ten-T guidelines for the trans-European transport network.
