intermodal solutions for transalpine freight traffic - Alpine Space ...

3.2 transalpine combined transports –
basic conditions and status quo in alpine-crossing
transport market
3.2.1 Infrastructure
TRANSITECTS did not aim at fostering the
establishment of new infrastructures. Instead
the project investigated existing infrastructures
- especially the great alpine-crossing transport
axes - in order to get a precise picture of capacities
and routing options for the new intermodal
connections. Nevertheless infrastructure constraints
and planned developments were taken
into consideration as they could influence future
transport flows and capacities.
While the planning and construction for base
tunnels on the most important Alpine crossings
Lötschberg/Simplon, Gotthard, Brenner and
Koralm are in progress or even finished partly,
particularly the necessary improvement works
on railway tracks approaching these main
crossings are proceeding slowly. Next to infrastructure
constraints in Alpine crossings also
limitations concerning the access to Ligurian
and Adriatic Ports have to be considered. Often
financing for improving infrastructure projects
is the main problem. The following overview
shows the most significant infrastructure
constraints found during the development of
intermodal pilot projects:
Source: IPG
location:
Rheintalbahn (D)
Southern Access (CH/IT)
München-Kufstein (D)
Verona-Bolzano-Fortezza (IT)
Terzo Valico (IT)
access to:
Gotthard and Lötschberg/Simplon
Gotthard
Brenner
Brenner
Ligurian Ports
Besides these main routes also more regional
rail tracks are showing different obstructions
like single tracks and non-electrified routes,
especially regarding the railway tracks Munich/
Ulm-Zurich, the Luino-Line or the access to the
port of Koper. The project partnership therefore
underlines that facing the prognosticated
tremendous increase of alpine-crossing freight
amounts requires the fast improvement of the
alpine railway network, especially regarding
the different access routes.
The involved project partners also turned
their attention to the situation of terminal infrastructures
found in the area of survey. In Northern
Italy the density of terminals for combined
or intermodal transport is very high whereas
in Southern Germany the situation is different
with a lower quantity. It seems to be notable
that both, north and south of the Alps, more
and more private initiatives emerge, aiming to
improve the spatial distribution of intermodal
terminal infrastructure.
Infrastructure constraints regarding Alpine crossing transport.
Source: own table, RVDI
20
transitects – final report
DEVELOPING COMBINED TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS 21