Innovations in Intermodal Freight Transport: Lessons from Europe

Over the last two decades many innovations in intermodal freight transport have been proposed to boost the market share of intermodal transport. However, only few of them have materialized. In this paper the authors explore why innovations in intermodal transport are difficult to realize and how barriers for their successful implementation could be overcome. The focus is on European initiatives. The authors describe a number of initiatives, succeeded and not (yet) succeeded, and explore their particular strengths and weaknesses. Next, by linking the description of these initiatives to a framework of innovation adoption, critical issues in the implementation of intermodal innovations are derived. The authors conclude that besides substantive success factors, related to costs and benefits, there are other strategic and process related factors that play at least an equally important role in the realization of these innovations. These include the balance of power in the supply chain, and the alignment of perspectives and preferences of different stakeholders.

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• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AT045(1) AT045 Paper Review Subcommittee.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • van Binsbergen, Arjan
  • Konings, Rob
  • Tavasszy, Lori
  • van Duin, Ron
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 93rd Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC
  • Date: 2014-1-12 to 2014-1-16
• Date: 2014

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 30p
• Monograph Title: TRB 93rd Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Freight transportation; Implementation; Innovation; Intermodal transportation; Supply chain management
• Geographic Terms: Europe
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01516405
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 14-4505
• Files: PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 28 2014 1:32PM