Accompanied combined transport

Stena Voyager (HSS) en route to Belfast from Stranraer.

Accompanied combined transport is a form of intermodal transport, which is the movement of goods in one and the same loading unit or road vehicle, using successively two or more modes of transport without handling the goods themselves in changing modes. More specifically, accompanied combined transport is one of the two types of combined transport, which is intermodal transport where the major part of the journey is by rail, inland waterways or sea, and any initial and/or final legs carried out by road are as short as possible.[1]

Combined transport is said to be "accompanied" when the driver of a complete freight carrying road vehicle is accompanying that vehicle, while it is being transported using other mode of transport.[2] This form of intermodal freight transport is relatively common in Europe.

Accompanied combined transport by rail

Introduction

There are two basic types of rail service that may involve accompanied combined transport:

Unloading a car shuttle train in Kandersteg, Switzerland.

Car shuttle trains

Main article: Car shuttle train

Austria

France – United Kingdom

Main article: Eurotunnel Shuttle

Accompanied road vehicles are carried in closed railway wagons through the Channel Tunnel between Sangatte (Pas-de-Calais, France) and Cheriton (Kent, United Kingdom).

Germany

The DB AutoZug SyltShuttle transports road vehicles on railway wagons over the Hindenburgdamm from Niebüll to Westerland in Sylt (or in the opposite direction).

Switzerland

The following car shuttle trains (Swiss German: Autoverlad) operate in Switzerland (mostly through tunnels):

Up until the opening of the Gotthard Road Tunnel in 1980, there was also a car shuttle train through the Gotthard Rail Tunnel between Göschenen und Airolo. Following the catastrophic fire in the road tunnel on 24 October 2001, this car shuttle train resumed operations for a few weeks.[3]

MÁV 1047 with a rolling highway train in Kecskemét, Hungary.

Rolling highways

Main article: Rolling highway

Rolling highways are mostly used for transit routes, e.g. through the Alps or between western and eastern Europe.

Austria

In Austria, rolling highways operate from Bayern via Tyrol to Italy or to Eastern Europe.

Hungary

There are several rolling highway routes in Hungary, including an international route linking Kiskundorozsma, near Szeged in Hungary, with Wels in Austria.

India

A rolling highway operates between Kolad in Maharashtra and Verna in Goa, with an extension to Surathkal in Karnataka. This service is more commonly known as RORO (roll-on-roll-off) in Konkan Railway.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, there are rolling highways across the Alps on both the Gotthard and the Lötschberg - Simplon routes.

Accompanied combined transport by water

Mark 3 SR.N4 hovercraft, Dover.

Car ferry

Main article: Car ferry

Hovercraft

Main articles: Hoverlloyd, Seaspeed, and Townsend Ferries

Between 1968 and 2000, several hovercraft services transported accompanied road vehicles, including freight carrying vehicles, between Calais in France and either Dover or Ramsgate in the United Kingdom.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Economic Commission for Europe (UN) (2001). Terminology on Combined Transport (PDF). New York and Geneva: Economic Commission for Europe (UN), European Conference of Ministers of Transport and European Commission. pp. 17–18, 21. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
  2. ↑ Economic Commission for Europe (UN) (2001). Terminology on Combined Transport (PDF). New York and Geneva: Economic Commission for Europe (UN), European Conference of Ministers of Transport and European Commission. pp. 17–18, 21. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
  3. ↑ Media release UVEK: Official reopening of the Gotthard Road Tunnel (German)
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