Multimodal transport

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Transport volume in multimodal maritime transport in Germany
Transport volume in multimodal rail and inland waterway transport in Germany

The term multimodal transport describes the use of different means of transport within a certain period of time. The transport of people or the transport of goods within the time slice is carried out using two or more different modes of transport . This form of organization is also called broken traffic and is in contrast to direct traffic ( unbroken traffic ).

Intermodal transport is a special form of multimodal transport . In passenger traffic, the means of transport are linked within a route. In freight transport, standardized transport units ( containers , swap bodies , semitrailers ) are moved, which means that they are moved in closed units during loading between different modes of transport. Combined transport ( CT for short ) or combined cargo transport (KLV) is the name given to intermodal transport if the majority of the distance covered is covered by rail, sea and inland waterway and the pre- and post-carriage on the road is as short as possible is held.

Disambiguation

The designation of multimodal transport is often equated with the terms intermodal and combined transport . This approach is wrong. Intermodal transport is a sub-form of multimodal transport. The European Conference of Transport Ministers introduced a (not generally accepted) definition for freight transport:

Multimodal transport comprises the transport of goods using two or more different modes of transport.

The opposite of multimodal traffic is monomodal traffic. The road users only use one mode of transport during a defined time slice.

Multimodal freight transport

history

The term was first used in the United States in the 1960s, when standardized containers were introduced that could be transported by railroad (piggyback service) , trucks and ships (fishyback service) .

causes

Often, a transport cannot be carried out in direct traffic without changing the means of transport or transshipment processes. In many cases, the reason for a combination arises from natural conditions. Ship transport will usually be part of an intermodal chain, as the goods are mostly not produced or consumed in the port , but in the hinterland and thus require pre- and post-carriage with other modes of transport.

The congestion of individual traffic routes, especially the road network, for example in Alpine transit , are to be understood as reasons for “forced” multimodal traffic.

With the potential for rationalization in cargo handling resulting from containerization and the opportunities in the management of complex transport chains resulting from the introduction of telematics , the various economic advantages and disadvantages of individual modes of transport are increasingly coming to the fore. The ship transports large quantities of goods with low energy consumption, but is severely limited in its speed and is particularly attractive on very long journeys. The truck is very powerful due to its flexibility, but relatively expensive to operate due to its low loading capacity. The railroad transports large quantities in an energy-efficient and space-saving manner, but due to its less dense network of routes compared to the road, it is only efficient in direct transport where block trains are integrated into the production processes of large plants. The airplane, like the ship, is a frequent link in the multimodal chain, is preferred in long-haul transport with not too voluminous cargo due to its speed, but loses this advantage in the near and middle range due to extensive and time-consuming controls and is increasingly hindered through a crowded airspace; its high energy consumption is also a disadvantageous factor from a business perspective.

In addition, environmental aspects, especially from a planning perspective, play an important role today. Particular mention should be made here of combined transport , which is hoped to relieve both overcrowded roads with high noise emissions and savings in energy consumption due to greater use of the railways in long-distance transport.

Broken traffic in local public transport

In local public transport, there is an increasing differentiation of the modes of transport, which extends the traditionally existing broken operations (mostly road / rail). Broken traffic originally had the main function of introducing passengers to efficient, well-developed means of transport. For this purpose, transfer hubs were created especially for the combination of bus (including tram ) and underground or S-Bahn (e.g. bus stations ). Broken service was more likely to be found in larger cities than in the country, because regional bus routes (initially intercity buses, later regional buses ) ran continuously to city centers and train stations were also centrally located as far as possible.

In countries with well-developed rail systems (including Germany, the Netherlands), rail is now given priority over road passenger transport . In addition to the introduction of network tariffs, there is also a reduction in parallel bus services - especially in Germany. Bus traffic is given a rail supplement, development and feeder function, so it becomes a secondary mode of transport with only minor supraregional tasks. In many cases, continuous bus routes between cities were broken to divert passengers (feeder traffic with traffic control function). The routes of bus routes are shortened (fragmentation of the regional bus networks), and broken connections in bus traffic are increasing.

In the opposite direction, in regions that are not adequately supplied by rail, express buses that have been upgraded and only serve important stops are used. Transfer connections can also be avoided by linking routes (e.g. diameter lines ) or integrating regional (bus) traffic into city (bus) traffic (including the "Osnabrück model" ). Modern rail transport systems ( multi-system railways ) based on the Karlsruhe model also aim to avoid broken traffic. However, the fine distribution of passengers always requires broken connections.

Declining passenger numbers in rural areas due to increasing individual traffic and the expansion of purely city-oriented bus networks also often make broken traffic necessary. Within the bus networks, there is a differentiation between main (→ Metrobus ) and secondary lines, city, regional, and suburban lines as well as special special forms (dial-a-bus or shared taxi services). There is a broken service between these forms. The most environmentally friendly, but unattractive solution for passengers is the use of large city buses in densely populated urban areas and then broken further transport with minibuses in rural areas.

Park-and-ride or bike-and-ride , i.e. the combination of individual and public transport, represent a special form of broken traffic .

See also

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Characterization of multimodal and intermodal road users. In: www.forschungsinformationssystem.de. Retrieved May 11, 2016 .
  2. ↑ Sebastian Kummer: Introduction to Transport Economics . UTB Verlag, 2006, ISBN 3-8252-8336-4 , pp. 48 .
  3. ↑ Terminology of Combined Transport (PDF; 289 kB)