This publication contains three reports on European rail frieght transport considering modal split, competition, intermodal transport, and the implications of rail privatisation on rail freight transport. Discussions on these reports conducted at the Round Table meeting are summarised. Whether the stagnation and decline of rail freight in Europe may be attributed to the lack of standardization among countries is discussed. Rail freight is considered most competitive over long distances, and the failure to use rail freight in these circumstances in Europe is discussed. It is suggested that internalising the external cost of road transport would not transfer more than one year's worth of road traffic growth from road to rail. It is not considered that rail freight networks are saturated and delays are blamed on procedural difficulties. It is considered that rail privatisation in the United Kingdom has proved successful for freight, with increases in coal, construction materials and agriculture, steel and food. However the steep growth in international traffic via the Channel Tunnel has not materialised. The Round Table considered that the administration of the current rail system has become excessively complex, that the emergence of competition on the rail network should be promoted, that neutral conditions of operation should be introduced, that private capital should be attracted and that public ownership is unsuitable for freight.
Abstract