Forum Freight Transport, 7 May 2024. Nationwide wagonload transport has a very high market share in domestic transport throughout Europe. In export and import transport, on the other hand, it is declining despite long distances. This is due to market compartmentalisation and outdated production structures. Exclusively state railways, exclusively on their home market is the motto. Wagonload transport is seen as system transport. Cooperation in networks, as is common and successfully applied on the roads, is not envisaged on the railway.
However, it is possible to transform wagonload transport into an automated, digitally networked and internationally open railway system. The states are offering the railway sector political and financial support for this.
That’s the point:
- Leading minds from the European transport and logistics industry in Zurich at the Freight Transport Forum
- Morning with an overview of the current legal framework
- Afternoon topic: Transformation of rail freight transport
- Focus on shaping a sustainable freight transport landscape
On 7 May 2024, leading figures from the European transport and logistics industry gathered at the Freight Transport Forum in Zurich to discuss the future of rail freight transport.
In his welcoming address, Frank Furrer, Secretary General of the VAP Association of the Logistics Industry, looked back on the previous forums from 2018 to 2024, at which an ongoing discussion was held on the development of freight transport. The focus was on topics such as multimodality, safety, innovation and digitalisation. He particularly emphasised the role of transport policy as a driver of change. In 2024, the focus will now be on new framework conditions for sustainable freight transport, in particular the transformation of rail freight transport. Frank Furrer emphasised the importance of favourable framework conditions for competition in order to enable multimodality, innovation and environmental protection. He cited the partnership between politics and business, cooperation between rail freight operators, logistics providers and shippers as well as the principle of subsidiarity as fundamental principles. The current bill to modernise rail freight transport was discussed in parliament. The VAP supports measures such as the introduction of digital automatic coupling (DAK) and bridging funding for single wagonload transport (EWLV) under certain conditions.
Dr Peter Füglistaler, Director of the Federal Office of Transport (FOT), gave an overview of the current legal framework and challenges in Swiss freight transport. For him, the temporary financial support for wagonload transport is a last attempt to save inland freight transport by rail. The DAK is the necessary means to achieve this, and with a subsidy of 30% to the owners, it is a good offer. Peter Westenberger, Managing Director of Die Güterbahnen in Deutschland, presented the digital railway and the VDV charter from a German perspective. He called for financial support for wagonload transport exclusively via the service routes, i.e. the reactivation or increase in volume at as many service points as possible. It is very difficult for competitors, as the data situation is extremely opaque. Claudia Nemeth from the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) in Austria explained the instruments and strategies of Austrian transport policy with regard to rail freight transport and compared the per capita investments in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. Austria is committed to actively monitoring the measures of the Freight Transport Masterplan 2030 and recently presented the first monitoring report in this regard. One of these measures is the establishment of a modal shift coach at the end of 2023, who advises companies and municipalities on the modal shift to rail. Together with German Transport Minister Wissmann and Federal Councillor Rösti, Austrian Minister Leonore Gewessler supports the rapid introduction of the DAK. Ueli Maurer, Head of Intermodal Network at Bertschi AG, provided valuable feedback from a business perspective. Waiting for the DAK is impossible in view of the progress made on the road; it must be implemented immediately. The current construction sites, which are still completely inadequately coordinated internationally, as well as energy and track prices are currently fundamentally threatening the marketability of rail freight transport. He also called on infrastructure managers to pass on the savings from complete closures to rail freight transport as compensation for their additional costs.
In the panel discussion that followed, Westenberger spoke about the current chaotic construction site situation and the associated additional costs and called for an improvement in the quality of rail freight transport. Nemeth agreed, but was optimistic about the future of rail freight transport and compared the current challenges to a small child learning to walk: there are setbacks, but it gets better. Füglistaler emphasised that there is no alternative to the corridor renovations and stressed the need for investment in infrastructure. Dr Jens Engelmann, who moderated the panel discussion, raised the issue of the effectiveness of funding measures and discussed the various approaches to supporting rail freight transport. Füglistaler and Nemeth defended the role of the state railways for single wagonload transport. Engelmann concluded the discussion by saying that rail makes an important contribution to sustainability and must continue to be promoted, but that challenges such as capacity bottlenecks and the costs of technological innovations must also be overcome.
After a short break, the event focussed on the transformation of rail freight transport in the future. Gilles Peterhans, Secretary General of the International Union of Wagon Keepers (UIP), shed light on the current status of digital automatic coupling (DAK). He emphasised the difference between technical retrofitting and the associated transformation of archaic rail freight transport. The latter is to be seriously reorganised to make it competitive and transformed into a completely new rail system. Gregor Ochsenbein, Deputy Head of the Data for an Efficient Mobility System programme at the FOT and Jürgen Maier-Gyomlay, Head of the Logistics Working Group / IG WLV at the VAP, highlighted the importance of data ecosystems for efficient logistics. Peter Sutterlüti, CEO of Cargo sous terrain AG, presented the Cargo Sous Terrain (CST) concept. The purely privately financed logistics solution is available exclusively for general cargo. The interplay of underground main leg and overground fine distribution has the potential to significantly complement rail and road transport. Stefan Kirch, Co-Founder and Member of the Management Board at NEVOMO, presented the potential of maglev technology for a more effective and higher-capacity freight transport solution. In particular, autonomous driving of freight wagons in large-scale sidings with a large number of loading and unloading stations as well as consolidation points for dispatch and receipt offer exceptional potential for savings.
The event culminated in another panel discussion, which focussed on the future of logistics in 2035. In addition to the voluntary nature of data disclosure, the challenges of digital transformation, particularly in terms of costs and collaboration with various stakeholders, were also discussed. In conclusion, it was emphasised that we should be open to innovative solutions and not let problems hold us back. Frank Furrer summarised the event with a statement that was as confident as it was challenging: Anything is possible, as long as all industry players join forces and close ranks to move forward pragmatically and with a willingness to compromise.
It was a day full of exciting encounters, informative presentations, stimulating discussions and a clear focus on shaping a sustainable freight transport landscape. The participants left the conference with new insights and impulses for the further development of the industry.
We are already looking forward to the Freight Transport Forum 2025!
