Best Practice Viacombi

Intermodal Freight Transport
& Logistics Best Practices
Content
Promit cases
BOHEMIAKOMBI ......................................................................................................................................................................4
BOXXPRESS Germany ..............................................................................................................................................................7
BOXXPRESS Hungary .............................................................................................................................................................10
GYOR-GNYU KIKTO ............................................................................................................................................................13
KUSTER Transport ..................................................................................................................................................................17
MV Kombiterminl................................................................................................................................................................20
POLZUG ................................................................................................................................................................................29
TRANSFENNICA .....................................................................................................................................................................32
ACCIONA ...............................................................................................................................................................................35
AGRO HANDEL ......................................................................................................................................................................38
AMBROGIO ............................................................................................................................................................................41
ATLAS COPCO .......................................................................................................................................................................44
BAXTER.................................................................................................................................................................................47
BIARD SOMADEM ..................................................................................................................................................................50
CONSTRURAIL .......................................................................................................................................................................53
CORMAN ...............................................................................................................................................................................56
CORUS ..................................................................................................................................................................................59
DECATHLON ..........................................................................................................................................................................62
DHL Freight ...........................................................................................................................................................................65
EWALS CARGO CARE .............................................................................................................................................................68
GRIMALDI ..............................................................................................................................................................................71
KOMBISZTAR / PHILIPS ..........................................................................................................................................................74
LES RAPIDES BLEUS ..............................................................................................................................................................77
MEPAVEX LOGISTICS .............................................................................................................................................................79
METRANS..............................................................................................................................................................................82
OKD ......................................................................................................................................................................................85
SOUFFLET .............................................................................................................................................................................88
TANG FRRES ........................................................................................................................................................................91
TRANSFESA...........................................................................................................................................................................94
TRANS Italia ..........................................................................................................................................................................68
VOLVIC ................................................................................................................................................................................100
WHIRLPOOL Europe .............................................................................................................................................................103
Supported by:
Introduction
This compendium of intermodal freight transport & logistics best practices has been selected and published by the
European Intermodal Association, which is the voice of intermodal transport.
Sources: PROMIT promoting innovative intermodal freight transport; BESTLOG logistic best practices, VIACOMBI
the gateway for transport intermodality, all three projects funded by the European Commission, in addition to a
number of specifically labelled EIA Intermodal Award winners. Neutral Jury: EU Commission, EU Parliament, various
single EU transport associations.
New cases can be added at a later stage. Contact EIA or its research partners to find out how your company could
be included, or the conditions for winning an Intermodal Award.
Sustainable mobility has been at the heart of EIAs EU Transport policy, promotional and communications activities
since its foundation. All transport modes and industries from port to hinterland are welcome,
with the aim of developing smart and profitable logistics solutions.
(Nr. 1)
(Nr. 1)
Bohemiakombi
BEST PRACTICE IN THE FIELD OF INTERMODAL TRANSPORT

Bohemiakombi
Involved Actors
Nature of the project
Forwarder: various forwarders,

mainly from Germany, Hangartner,
Rinnen, Hoyer
Shipper: chemical industry
(Procter&Gamble), hard goods
(Lego)
Operator: Kombiverkehr,
Bohemiakombi
Route
Type of combined transport:

rail-road
Sector of activity:
intermodal operators
Type of goods:
chemicals, foods, raw material,
hard goods
Starting date:
10/2005
Route
Lovosice-Hamburg
573 km
CONTEXT OF THE INTERMODAL TRANSPORT

Operator and routes
Bohemiakombi is an UIRR member and as intermodal operator is focused on continental intermodal transport. From
2005 it gradually developed connection to Kombiverkehr network of intermodal trains in Germany and other countries
in Western Europe. First Bohemiakombi started an operation of a connection from Lovosice in Northern Bohemia to
Duisburg. Then, in 2006 second connection from Lovosice to Hamburg Billwerder was establish. Both lines have direct
connections to other Kombiverkehr trains in Duisburg and Hamburg. They are operated 3 times per week in both
directions and it is planned to increase frequency.
Origin of the project
Up to 2005 in the Czech Republic was developed almost exclusively only intermodal transport to/from maritime ports.
In the field of continental intermodal transport, there were no regular trains. Main task was to acquire forwarders and
shippers which were equipped with suitable loading units or were willing to invest in it. First connection from Lovosice
to Duisburg has from beginning very low rate of utilisation so there were provided an operational subsidy from German
side for two years. As the Czech road haulers and shippers are rarely equipped with suitable techniques (swap bodies,
semi-trailers, tank-containers) most of customers originated from Western Europe.
Logistics and technical organization

Description of the logistics actions/transport chain
Lovosice Hamburg Billwerder
The train is operated 3 times per week in both directions. Intermodal train operator is Kombiverkehr, on the Czech side
capacity of the train is selling by Bohemiakombi. In Lovosice the train is handled in CD terminal which is operated by
CD-DUSS Terminal company. In Hamburg it is handled in Billwerder terminal operated by DUSS. Railion Deutschland
provides its intermodal wagons. Traction on German network provides since 2007 CTL Rail. On the Czech network, the
train is hauled by CD Cargo. In contrast to Duisburg, there is not permission for Czech haulers to operate their own
terminal cartage to Scandinavia.
Key elements
Main problem from the beginning of the operation was low utilisation of train capacity. It is caused mainly by lacking
of appropriate equipments on the Czech side (special semi-trailers, swap bodies, tank-containers etc.). Currently, the
main problem is performance quality on German side. Most of trains departing on the border are delayed.
Operation elements
Frequency
Lovosice Hamburg: 3 times per week v.v.
Timetable: http://www.kombiverkehr.de/web/Deutsch/Startseite/Kundeninformationen/Fahrplan/Fahrplanauskunft/
Distance: Hamburg 573 km
Operation time: Lovosice - Hamburg 12 h (incl. transhipmen tin a terminal)
Equipment: tank-containers, semi-trailers, swap bodies
ECONOMIC ASPECTS
Comparison between intermodal transport and alternative road scenario in terms of:
Transport price: terminal terminal (incl. transhipment) 25 % less than road, in some cases (tankcontainers vs. road
tank truck) 50 %.
Basic prices for tank-container up to 34 t (in Euro 2007) in turn from Lovosice to Hamburg are euro 629 (empty-loade)
and 750 (loaded-loaded).
Investment cost: ILU are fully paid by road haulers, shippers or forwarders, wagons are owned and financed by DB.
Infrastructure costs (terminal) subsidised from national support programmes (Czech and German).
Financial support: Two years (2005-2007) operational subsidy for German section of another leg (Lovosice-Duisburg)
trains up to 30 % of operational costs.
Comparison with road scenario and lessons learnt

Main benefits for customers:
- better utilization of fleet with smaller number of drivers
- avoidance of bans for heavy road vehicles during weekends
- exemption from road tax (up to 100 % in the Czech Rep.)
- higher max. weight limit for road vehicles (+ 4 t in Germany)
- price of road semi-trailer tank vs. tank-container + chassis are approximately the same
Critical issues:
- higher initial costs for road haulers in most of cases
- lack of suitable ILUs in the Czech Republic
- more demanding with regard to organizational issues
- reliability of railway transport
- need of suitable terminals
- suitable railway infrastructure especially loading gauge is critical for transport of semi-trailers and swap bodies
Contacts:
Operator website:
www.bohemiakombi.cz
www.kombiverkehr.de
BoxXpress Germany

BoxXpress.de
Involved Actors
EUROKOMBI, DUSS; Private

terminal Operators /Wincanton)
Port terminaloperator Eurogate,
HHLA,NTB, MSC
boxXpress, railion for the port
shunties, ERS TX-Logistik
various shippers in im and export,
shipping companies, forewarding
companies,
Combined transport rail-road,

unaccompanied
combined
transport, inland repositioning of
maritime containers
General
cargo
,automotive,
chemical,
dangerous
goods,
furniture , paper pulp, forestier
products other products
Starting date is June 2000
Route
<>
Route
Port of Hamburg
EUROKOMBI
BoxXpress.de
800 km
Munich,
50 km

Operator and routes
Joint Venture of Eurogate Intermodal GmbH, TX-Logistik AG and ERS, European Rail Shuttle BV
Regular and independent from Hamburg/Bremerhaven to south- and southwest Germany. Combined traffic to
Ludwigshafen, Mainz, Munich, Augsburg, Nuremberg und Stuttgart, here from port of Hamburg to Munich
.
The goal is to take the pressure off the sea terminals and improve customer service. The concept envisages taking
delivery of and collecting containers inland. Best possible transit times will be achieved by an unbroken transport
chain. In the Port of Hamburg you will find the EUROKOMBI-Terminal , an efficient rail station for combined cargo
transport.
.
LOGISTICS AND TECHNICAL ORGANIZATION
Eurogate, Intermodal GmbH organise the total transport chain from the port of Hamburg via the Eurokombi railway
terminal and inland terminals to consignees in the region of Munich. Port operators are Eurogate, HHLA, NTB and
MSC, Eurokombi, DUSS and Wincanton are inland terminal operators, bosXpress.de, Railion, ERS and TX-Logistik
cooperate in transport activities. The transport out of the port is operated by Railion(Hafenbahn). The main haulage is
performed by train (BoxXpress.de) and the post haulage by truck (2 axels and container chassis 3 axels). Transported
are containers (also reefer containers which have to be cooled at the terminals. The boxXpress equipment consist of 15
locos and 280 90 container railcars.
The Key elements
The offer is used by 70% as intermodal split. The offer provides data processing support using internet portal to ensure
timely exchanges of information on status data reflection goods locations and movements. Support can be provided
concerning vehicle technology, energy supply and storage. The offer fits with logistic transport requirements particular
for long distance transport without break bulk
Operation elements
The train operates five times a week between ports and inland terminals, carrying 92 TEU per train, with 9,5 tons per
TEU on average. The total transport volume amounts to 365.000 TEU per year. The advantages are the high frequency,
reliability and punctuality, high degree of security
ECONOMIC ASPECTS
Price of terminal-toterminal main haulage
Price of pre-haulage
(from shipper to terminal)
Price of post-haulage
(from terminal to
consignee)
Transhipment / handling
costs
Other costs / fees
EUR 450,- per 40 Container
Total
costscosts
(%) (%)
Total
Port shuntings are included in

the Terminal-Terminal-Rate
EUR 150,- per container in
average
EUR 30,- for Handling and
agency fee
EUR 6,- per TEU and day
Storage charges at inland
terminal
No subsidies ar involved in the operation of boxXpress. However there are some support in financing new projects for
port shunting.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS
Avoided emissions in tons of CO2: 29149
% of avoided emission: 65%
Total emissions (tons of CO2eq/year)
Number of equivalent heavy vehicles avoided:47760
Avoided fuel consumption: 10.9 m litres
COMPARISON WITH A ROAD SCENARIO

The cost advantage brings about a modal shift that generates a remarkable reduction of emissions. With the all-road
solution, the transportations will cause the emission of 44762 tons of CO2 per year, whereas the intermodal solutions
causes emissions for 15612 tons. Such reduction corresponds to taking some 47 thousand trucks off of the road in one
year.
LESSONS LEARNT
Main obstacles encountered are that inland terminal lack of capacities in the meaning of storage space. The efficiency of
the operation can be improved by higher transport volumes, higher frequencies, wider time windows and higher
number of shippers. Furthermore more tracks should be available for electric locos incl. Terminals to be approached by
electric locos. During the next 10 years the flow of goods will increase and the equipment and technologies involved
will be optimised.
We are interested in opening additional lines in MOE (hungary, Czech and Slovac Republic, Romania and Slovenia.
Private competition like boxXpress.de will be very important to raise the modal split of railway traffic. Communication
campaigns and changes in the regulatory framework: Toll (MAUT) will bring some benefits for the intermodal
transport as well as the high diesel price
Contacts:
Contact name: Lars Hedderich - EUROGATE Intermodal GmbH - Man. Director
Email:
lars.hedderich@eurogate.eu
Fax:
+49 40 7405 2266
Tel:
+49 40 7405 2734
BoxXpress Hungary
10

BoxXpress.hu
Involved Actors
Eurogate Intermodal GmbH,

boxXpress, TX-logistik Austria,
Floyd Budapest
various shippers im- and export via
Hamburg/Bremerhaven
Combined transport rail-road

Unaccompanied combined
transport and inland repositioning
of maritime containers,
transported are all containerised
cargo including dangerous goods
but no waste and no parcels
Route
Route
Port of Hamburg/Bremerhaven
Hamburg-Budapest
1560 km
Budapest area
35 km

Operator and routes
From the seaports to the hinterland of Europe: EUROGATE operates a transport network by road and rail. Rail services
by EUROGATE Intermodal run from Bremerhaven and Hamburg to Budapest returning via Munich. BoxXpress.hu is a
joint venture between Eurogate, boxpress.de, Tx-Logistik Austria and Floyd Budapest.

The goal is to take the pressure off the sea terminals and improve customer service. The concept envisages taking
delivery of and collecting containers.. Best possible transit times will be achieved by an unbroken transport chain. . the
project has been implemented May 2006.

Eurogate, Intermodal GmbH organise the total transport chain from the port of Hamburg via the inland terminals Bilk to
consignees in the region of Munich. Port operators are Eurogate, HHLA, NTB and MSC, Floyd Budapest is the inland
terminal operator, bosXpress.de, and TX-Logistik Austria cooperate in transport activities. The main haulage is
performed by train (BoxXpress.de) and the post haulage by truck (2 axels and container chassis 3 axels). Transported
are containers (also reefer containers which have to be cooled at the terminals.
The Key elements
99% are intermodal trips. The offer provides data processing support using internet portal to ensure timely exchanges of
information on status data reflection goods locations and movements. Support can be provided concerning vehicle
technology, energy supply and storage. The offer fits with logistic transport requirements particular for long distance
transport without break bulk and achieves a high flow aggregation. Boxpress.hu needs only 27 hours transit time, so it
safes 25% 0f time on the corridor to Budapest.
11
Economic aspects
Price
of
terminal-toterminal main haulage
Price of pre-haulage (from
shipper to terminal)
Price of post-haulage (from
terminal to consignee)
Transhipment / handling
costs
Other costs / fees
EUR 850,- until EUR 900,- for 1

x 40 Container
Shunting in the Ports are incl. In
the Terminal Rates
EUR 260,- in average per
Container
EUR 54,- for two handlings ab
Bilk Kombiterminal in Budapest
EUR 50,- per Container for
storage fees, agency costs and
Customs ops.
Total costs (%)
Subsidies are not granted for the operation of BoxXpress.hu.
Avoided fuel consumption: 38 m l

solution, the transportations will cause the emission of 128 thousands tons of CO2 per year, whereas the intermodal
solutions causes emissions for less than 27 thousand tons. Such reduction corresponds to taking some 56 thousand
trucks off of the road in one year.
LESSONS LEARNT
boxXpress.hu offers a very fast (27 hours) transit time, due to own traction by one electronic loco for the whole route.
Own modern 80 railcars are in use. No Loco changes are necessary at the borders. Only the train drives will be
changed on the route. No other train is offering 96 TEUs capacity per departure. Own agency staff is organizing the
operation at the Bilk-Kombiterminal at Budapest. To offer connections for the empty equipment from the overflow area
of Hungary (to much import containers and less export volumes for maritime containers) to the export area of southern
Germany (More Export Volume than Import. Demand of empty containers).
Contacts:
Contact name:
Lars Hedderich
Company: EUROGATE Intermodal GmbH
12
Position:
Man. Director
Email:
lars.hedderich@eurogate.eu
Fax:
+49 40 7405 2266
Tel:
+49 40 7405 2734
Gyor Gonyu Kikto
13
GYR - GNY KIKT ZRT.

Actors involved
involved
Actors
Operator: Gyr
Gyr -- Gny
Gny Kikt
Kikt
Operator:
Shippers:
variable
eg.:
Brazil,
Shippers: variable eg.: Brazil,
Netherland,
Germany,
Croatia,
Netherland, Germany, Croatia,
Spain
Spain
Forwarders: MAHART
MAHART Cargo,
Cargo,
Forwarders:
BDSG
BDSG
Takers: merchants
merchants -- Agrograin
Agrograin
Takers:
Zrt., Glencore
Glencore Kft.,
Kft., UBM
UBM Kft.
Kft.
Zrt.,
Nature of
of the
the Project
Project
Nature
Type of
of combined
combinedtransport:
transport:ininType
land
waterway
road
land waterway - road
Sector of
of activity:
activity:wholesaler,
wholesaler,
Sector
distributor,
food
industry
distributor, food industry
Type of
of goods:
goods: grains:
grains:corn,
corn,
Type
wheat,
soya
wheat, soya
Starting date:
date:2000
2000
Starting
Route
Route
ROAD
ROAD
::
Context of the intermodal transport

Gyr - Gny Kikt Kft. was founded in 1992, then it was reorganised into a public limited company in 1993.
In the same year a so called temporary loader (vertical river wall with a length of 40m) has been built, which
works today as well, and an enbankment for two quay berths was installed suitable for the loading of goods
falling under the effect of ADN. The RO-RO terminal was built in 1997 with the help of KViM and FVM Phare
programs. It has a vertical river wall with the length of 240m made from ferroconcrete. Initially this area was in
private ownership, but in 1999 it had been nationalized in order to be a cross-border port. From that time the
company rents the port (110 hectares), where it deals with the transshipment of bulk goods primarily.
The aim of the company is to become pioneer in the develpoment and construction of the National Public
Traffic Harbour, and to do jobs of operation after finishing the construction. To be able to reach these
purposes, the firm continuously improves its machinery with the most modern equipments. Currently it has 2
pieces of Fuchs-360 heavy-duty mobile loader, 1 piece of Komatshu loader, 3 pieces of crop chute, 3 pieces
of Bobcat loader. The port can receive and load/unload six barages at the same time. In addition it has an
inspection and storage house with a basic area of 516 m2, with possibilities of storage, servicing trucks and
storage of the illegal goods forfeit by the customs.
The Gyr - Gny Kikt Zrt. recognised its unique possibility to join the road with the rail and the in-land
waterway, and it can serve almost the whole Northen Transdanubian region with goods streaming cross
the port. As the rail has not been built yet, currently it can supply this region in a 110 120 km zone with the
help of road transport. It transports for example to Gyr, Szkesfehrvr, Zalaegerszeg, Bbolna,
Szombathely, Veszprm and Ikrny. (But there were examples for longer transport too, for instance corn was
shipped to Chine across the port.)
14
Logistic and technical organization

Logistics actions/transport chain
The equipment used for logistics actions ( loading, packaging) are held by the port at 100 %. Every machine is
new and heavy-duty so the staff of the port can work with the maximum rapidity to be more precise with a 150200 tonnes/hours/machine performance. The pre-haulage is organised by the shippers (eg.: Germany, the
Netherlands, Spain, Croatia). The barge arriving from the shippers can be late, but when it is in the port the
staff and machinery of the Gyr Gny Kikt Zrt. have to unload. Delay of the ships are typical in 20% and
it is only 1-2 hours. The quantity of the commodity can change between 500-600 tons and 1500-1600 tons, but
it depends naturally on the size of the barges, and the level of the water. When the level of the water is low,
less goods can be received, when it is higher, more goods can be transported. ( The water depth is between
3-11 meters, so the allowed draught is 2,5 meter.) The post-haulage is organised by the port, if there is a
demand for it. In this case trucks are called for unloading and transportation. The capacity of a barge is
equivalent of about 40-45 trucks. Then the commodities are transported in an 110-120 km zone, e.g. to Gyr,
Bbolna, Veszprm, Szkesfehrvr etc., serving almost the whole Northen Transdanubian region.
Main partners are Agrograin Zrt., Glencore Kft., UBM Kft.
Economic aspects
There are many favourable factors of fluvial shipping. The first one is that it is a cheaper solution than the road
or rail transport (by 30% and 10% respectively). Other factors are that the rivers are given by the nature, the
only thing to be taken care of is their quality, while in case of roads and railways, goods have to be repaired
and reconstruted. The in-land water maintenance is more cheaper than that of the roads, thus the transport
can become less expensive and merchants can offer their products cheaper, which means an advantage for
them in competition. Using barges is better to optimise the spendings of transport, as every single barge
equals to 40-45 trucks.
Environmental aspects
The in-land waterway transport between Rotterdam and the port of Gyr Gny has lots of environmental
advantages. In road transport there is a huge emission of CO2, while the emission resulted from the traffic of
in-land water is less. If the emission of a barge is as much as that of a truck, then the in-land waterway is a
more environmentally-friendly solution, because the capacity of a truck is only about 25 tons, while the
capacity of a ship is about 1000-1600 tons.
The Gyr - Gny Kikt Zrt. plays attention to other environment protecting aspects, though it means extra
expenditures. All of the roads in the port are covered with concrete; there are channels driving the
precipitation, with separators (a kind of filter) at their ends. These are very useful when the goods or oil run
out. The fuel of the trucks transporting the consignment is diesel. After the intoduction of the rail into the area
of the port, the traffic of this region can be reduced resulting in a decreased CO2 emission and other
pollutions as well.
Advantages of the intermodal transport learnt

The intermodal transport is better than the all-road transport from nearly all aspects. Environmental aspect: It
is a more environmentally-friendly solution, because the emission of CO2 is lower. Economic aspect: it
reduces unit cost (1 barge=40-45 truck) and the less expensive infrastructure allows merchants to sell their
products cheaper, thus guaranteeing them an advantage in competition. Social aspect: it is more positive,
because the traffic of barges is not so noisy than that of the trucks and the waterways are given by the nature
opposite to the roads that have to be maintained continuously. Security aspect: it is more secure, as there are
not so many accidents in water than in road. The in-land waterway transport reduces the congestion of roads
caused by road transport.
15
Lessons learnt
A factor that contributed to the success of Gyr Gny Kikt Zrt. may be that this is the only port in this
region dealing with intermodal transport. The nearness of Gyr, one of the most rapidly developing town in
Hungary, makes the port more significant. The port is eager to satisfy the demand of the towns factories. In
order to achieve this goal, the port continuously purchases the most modern assets. It takes all the
opportunities to obtain all the possible support from the EU and the Hungarian State. Until now the most
important investments and developments were financed with the help of their support. Articles about the GyrGny Kikt Zrt. are published frequently in different newspapers, as the firm lays an important stress upon
marketing. It catches all the possibilities to present its innovations to his partners with frequently organised
receptions, giving an opportunity to tighten the relationships and make their cooperation more effective.
Gyr-Gny Kikt Zrt (E-mail: info@portofgyor.hu - Web: www.portofgyor.hu)
Tel.: (36) 96-544-200 Fax: (36) 96-544-204
Pintr kos, pinter@portofgyor.hu - Szakonyi Frigyes, szakonyi@portofgyor.hu
16
Kusters
17
BEST PRACTISE IN THE FIELD OF INTERMODAL TRANSPORT
Kusters/ Barge operator :Mercurius Scheepvaart

Container transport
ACTORS INVOLVED
NATURE OF THE
PROJECT
ROUTE
Forwarder : Shipper : Mercurius

Scheepvaart
Operator : Kusters
Type of CT: IWWl/road

Sector of activity:
Distribution industry,
Type of goods: containers
Starting dates:
2008 Kusters
ROUTE
Port of Antwerp - Lanaken

125 km

Operators and routes
Kusters Transport has been founded in 1963, primarilly for transport of sand and limestone. In the late 1970s and early 1980s the
company started focussing on container transport. In 1999 he company moved to a new premise in Lanaken, close to the Albert
Canal. Currently, Kusters transports
containers for
several
container shipping
companies from the port of Antwerp to the Ruhr
LOGISTICS
AND
TECHNICAL
ORGANISATION
Area in Germany via their site in Lanakan.
Currently some 70 containers per day are transported by truck from various terminals in the port of Antwerp to the site of Kusters
in Lanaken, from where they are further transported to the Ruhr area in Germany. All transports are performed with own trucks
and chassis. In order to increase the productivity of the equipment and in order to avoid increasing road congestion during the haul
between Lanaken and Antwerp and in and around the port area, Kusters is looking for alternative transport solutions and to shift
these flows from road to barge.

2008: this project is a pilot which will start within the next months. Nevertheless it is a nice example of how innovative thinking
can bring a about
a modal shift
on routes that are not self-evident.
OPERATION
ELEMENTS
LOGISTICS AND TECHNICAL ORGANISATION

Description of transport chain
Currently some 70 containers are transported every day between Antwerp and
Lanaken. This equals some 18000 roundtrips per year. The container barge has a
capacity of 72 containers when loading three high (current limitations of the Canal).
This equals a yearly capacity of some 10,000 containers, or about 55% of the current
flows. The container barge can load/unload 20 containers per hour and can lift
containers up to 30 ton over a distance of 15 m or 22 ton over a distance of 20 m.
Frequency: 7 days a week
Timetable:
Distance: 125 km (125 km by road)
Operation time:
Reliability on delivery time: Equipment: cranes, 1 reachstaker
Key elements
- The road hauls will be performed by Kusters with its own fleet of trucks and
chassis.
- Heavily congested roads affected: in and around the port and between Lanaken and
Antwerp during peak hours
- % empty return trips: various
- Flexibile hours: the barge can load/unload during the evening and navigate during
the night. The containers only have to be present along the Canal at a certain time in
the afternoon/evening or will be present along the Canal in the morning (for import
containers).
18
ECONOMIC ASPECTS
Total medium cost estimation
(road transport base 100)
KEY DATA
n.a.
The price per ILU may not be higher than the transport costs
of the road alternative. Provisional calculations have
revealed that the intermodal transport of 20 containers has
the highest feasibility. For 40 containers, road transport still
offers a cost advantage. For the time being, the best option
therefore is to transport the 20 ctrs by barge and the 40 ctrs
by road between Antwerp and Lanaken.
Financial support can be obtained
KEY DATA
CO2 emissions (tCO2eq/year)*
Emissions avoided in tons of CO2: 1,745

% of emissions avoided: 51 %
Number of equivalent heavy vehicles
avoided: 9,993
Fuel consumption avoided: 656 k l
* data calculated from ADEMEs carbon balance methodology for transport

between the warehouse and the final destination (inland transports included) from January 2006 to December 2006.
ADVANTAGES OF THE INTERMODAL SOLUTION

Reduction of the effects of road congestion and therefore obtaining a better productivity rate of the equipment
More equipment can be used for the road transports between Lanaken and Germany, which means a large capacity increase on this
route.
LESSONS LEARNT
According to the operator:
One problem is that the site of Kusters is located at a distance of some 3 km from the Albert Canal. Therefore, they do not have
direct access to the inland waterway. Nevertheless, Kusters is prepared to cooperate in a pilot project which will start during the
next months. In this project, containers will be collected at the deepsea terminals and transported to Lanakan by a container barge
with its own crane to load / unload containers. This barge has the advantage that no loading/unloading equipment is needed at
Lanaken. The containers will be transported by a shuttle service to the site of Kusters at only 3 km distance from the Canal.
This is a pilot project. The success of this pilot will largely influence the future use of this model. Other parties are interested in
case the pilot turns out to be successful and cost-efficient.

Contacts
@ Websites
Kusters Transport Bvba: 0032 (0)89/71 48 50
Kusters : www.kusters-transport.be
e-mail : Kusterstransport@skynet.be
Mercurius Sheepvaart : www.mercuriusgroup.nl
19
MV Kombiterminl
20
BEST PRACTICE OF INTERMODAL TRANSPORT

MV Kombiterminl Kft.
Hungarian Railways
Combitermial Ltd.
MV Kombiterminl Ltd.
Historical summary
The firm was founded on the 15th November 1996 in Budapest by MV Ltd. The Ltd. was
started by 100% Hungarian ownership. Later the Ltd. became the part of the privatized MV
Cargo. The association started the operation with three terminals. Five terminals operate
today: in Szombathely , in Szeged, in Szolnok,in Pcs and in Kiskundorozsma, which is the
larggest Ro-La terminal in Europe.
The CEO of the company is Gyula Kiss, who operates the terminals from Budapest, from the
Headquarters. Nowadays the Ltd. has many interests in other organizations.
Kombisztr
BILK
Kombiterminl
Kelenfld Kontner Dep
T.S.M.
MV Raktr
Hungria Intermodal
MTMG Logisztikai Zrt.
Globllog(Praelog)
NATURE OF THE PROJECT:

The role of the organization is road haulier and inland terminal operator.
ACTORS INVOLVED:
Shipper: Hungarokombi ,ICF ,Hungary Intermodal, Rabelog, Masped, Mogyi Ltd.
Inland terminal operator: Bilk, Kombiterminal, Kombisztr, Mahart
Port terminal operator: Mahart
Railway company: MV, MVCargo,GyESEV
Combined transport operator rail-road: Hungarokomb ,ICF, Hungary Intermod.
21
The company uses both of following specific modes:

- Accompanied combined transport (Rolling highway) Ro-La
- Inland repositioning of maritime containers
TYPICAL ROADS:
The north way
From the ports of North-Germany to Hungary
Transportation with boxcars
The south way
Koper, (Slovenian port) to Hungary
Start Finish
Koper-Szolnok
Koper-Szeged
Koper-Szombathely
Customer
Samsung
Mogyi Ltd.
Flextronics
BP road
Kiskundorozsma- Wels

TERMINALS PARAMETERS
Szombathely
Area, trucks:
area: 24 240 m2
3 tracks with crane (230 m)
1 loading/unloading track (275 m)
Szeged
Area, trucks:
area: 5 680 m2
2 loading/unloading track with crane (200
m)
Tools:
22
1 electric bock-crane (2 t, 24 m)
1 fork lift truck [20' - 40'
spreaders, Hyster 12,5 t]
1 self-loading truck [Klaus 40']
1 truck [20']
8 connection places for reefer
containers
Tools:
1 electric bock-crane [33/16 t; 20 m]
1 fork lift truck [Hyster 12,5 t]
2 truck outfit [40']
1 semi-trailer [40']
Pcs
Szolnok
Area, tracks:
Area, trucks:
area: 16 714 m2
area: 5 050 m2
Tools:
Tools:
1 electric bock-crane [40/12,5 t, 20 m)

1 container loader [Belotti 41 t]

Type of ILUs:
Swap bodies
Semi trailers
Containers
23
Transported Goods
General (palletized) cargo

Automotive
Chemical
Furniture
Dangerous Goods
The total transport volume which is managed by the company uses 100% of intermodal
transport solutions.
ALTERNATIVE ALL-ROAD SOLUTION

Route: from a free-port, in Inland to wherever
Distance: the radius of the port to 200-300 km, it is more competitive than the railway
Main competitiveness factors:
Higher load factor in the round-trip
High volume/flow aggregation
Fits with transport/logistic requirements of specific goods
Long distance transport without break-bulk
Transport lead-time
Reliability and timeliness
High frequency
Higher security than in road transport
Low sensibility to the oil price fluctuations
Pre/post haulage supply
Short pre/post haulage distance
TECHNICAL ASPECTS
Specifities of terminals and routes
Kiskundorozsma-Wels (Austria)
Services:
loading, unloading and transshipment of containers
loading and unloading of swap bodies
placing the loaded and empty containers in the depot
handling of reefer containers
road transport to and from the terminal
investigation, repair and cleaning of containers
uninterrupted security guard service
parking
24
Area, tracks:
area: 24 240 m2
1 loading/unloading track (275
m)
Tools:
1 electric bock-crane (2 t, 24 m)
1 fork lift truck [20' - 40'
spreaders, Hyster 12,5 t]
1 truck [20']
8 connection places for reefer
containers
Subsidy from the Hungarian
State (Operationnal support)
900mFt
Development assistance
33000 trailer, trucks( Turkish,
Rumanian,
Greek
and
Bulgarian) are transact by the
terminal.
3 pairs train (6 pieces of trains)
start pro day,,,/ day
The MVKombi doesnt delay, the MVs trains can delay. Example for damages: Last
year the Ltd. does not have any damage, but if we meet any type of damage that is tenth.
25
ADVANTAGES OF INTERMODAL TRANSPORT
Environmentally and without tax transportation

Pass-free passage
Starting, boarder-crossing, arriving by timetable
Methodical, quick, calculable transport
The truck drivers could travel along with trucks
Passages salesmanship
At the set crossing points:
Nagylak
rtnd
Gyula
Rszke
Tompa
At the Ro-La terminal (Kiskundorozsma)
Directions of the trains

Kiskundorozsma- Wels v.v
Destination: Kiskundorozsma-Ferencvros-Hegyeshalom to Austria
Method :4-5 train pairs pro day
Time:8-9 Hours on MV distance
Operator: Hungarokombi
Tel: + 36 1 224-0570
Fax:+ 36 1 224-0575
E-mail: rola@hungarokombi.hu
26
Kiskundorozsma-Ljubljana v.v (Slovenia)

Destination: Kiskundorozsma-Ferencvros-Murakeresztr-to Croatia, Slovenia
Method: every second day one train
Time: 8-10 hours
Operator: Hugarokombi
Tel: + 36 1 224-0570
Fax :+ 36 1 224-0575
E-mail: rola@hungarokombi.hu
Nagyvrad-Wels v.v
Destination: from Romania Biharkeresztes-Ferencvros-Hegyeshalom to Austria
Method: 3 pairs train pro week
Time: 9 hours
E-mail: info@oekombi.at
Tel:+43 1 33156-0
Fax:+43 1 33156-300
Operator: kombi
Arad-Wels v.v
Destination: from Romania Lkshza-Ferenvros-Hegyeshalom to Austria
Method :5 pairs train pro week
Operator: kombi
E-mail: info@oekombi.at
Tel: +43 1 33156-0
Fax: :+43 1 33156-300
Time:9 hours
Economic aspect
Effects of the company budget
Additional investment costs for transshipment.
Increase/decrease of storage areas
Additional management/operational costs
Additional investment costs for new loading units
27
LESSONS LEARNT
Success factors:
Cost effectiveness
Agility
Additional actions:
Communication campaigns
Training
Change in the regulatory framework
Feasibility studies
Operational and development support
Increasing factors:
Higher transported volume
Higher frequencies
Introduction of innovative equipment
Higher competition between services
Higher number of shippers
The future:
Increase in the flow of goods
Diversification in the types of flows
Diversification of the shippers
Optimizations
The company is working on a new terminal in Krts (Railport Arad). The route will be the
Koper-Krts relationship.
Contacts:
MV Kombiterminl Ltd:
E-mail: mavkombi@mavkombi.hu
Web: www.mavkombi.hu
Tel: (36) 1 334 1174
Fax: (36) 1 303 6687
Kiss Gyula, Mv Kombiterminl,

vezrigazgat
E-mail.: kiss.gyula@mavkombi.hu
Mszros Lszl, rtkestsi vezet

E-mail.: meszaros.laszlo@mavkombi.hu
More informations:
Co-operation:
Hungria Intermodal Kft.
Web.: www.intermodal.hu
Homepages of the partners:
Bilk Kombiterminl Rt.
Web: www.bilkkombi.hu
Globllog (Praelog) Kft.
Web: www.praelog.hu
Mv Raktr Kft.
E-mail: tar.gyula@mavraktar.hu
Kombisztr Kft.
E-mail: kombisztar@invitel.hu
28
Polzug
29
Polzug
Involved Actors
Various shippers im- and export,

Road haulier as subcontractor in
Poland, polzug Gmbh as terminal
operator,
PkP and DB,
Polzug Gmbh as combined rail-road
operator
Rail-road intermodal transport,

uncompanied combined transport,
inland repositioning of maritime
containers
Transport of consumer goods,
foodstuff, pre-products
automotive parts, chemicals
without specific treatment
Route
Route
Port of Hamburg
port terminal
terminal in Warsaw
800 km
Consignees around Warsaw

10 100km

Operator and routes
Combined rail/road transport from Hamburg, Bremerhaven und Rotterdam to destinations in Poland, Ukraine,
Lithuania, Latvia, Russia etc. .Regularly served terminals are in Poland: Gadki/ Poznan, Gdansk, Gliwice,
Slawkow/Katowice, Lodz and Pruszkow/ Warsaw and in Ukraine: Kiev.
On carriage by road and rail in Poland. The terminals also forward cargo to Belarus, Ukraine and to the other Baltic
States.
Container flows to Poland, border crossing difficulties, berth and storage capacities in the port terminals, transport time
of feeder traffic have been the main difficulties. At the beginning there was only one block train, that connected
Hamburg and Warsaw in a "shuttle service" system on a weekly basis. Today, the logistics system of POLZUG
Intermodal GmbH sets standards for a professional service in the combined container transport between German
seaports and many destinations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Before and shortly after the fall of the Iron Curtain,
the company was resolutely developing its activities, and today is recognised as market leader in the tough international
transport sector.
Polzug GmbH organises the transport of container out of the port of Hamburg via their own terminals to consignees
around Warsaw. Transported are 20 and 40 containers most probably owned by shipping lines. Polzug performs
100% intermodal transport. terminals with customs clearance and other depot services in Poland. Also the possibility of
inland storage of container, waiting for an export opportunity is a competition factor.
Key elements
Main competitive factors of their operation are a high load factor per round trip, high volume flow aggregation,
reliability and punctuality for large volumes and short pre/post haulage distances. A particular advantage is the storage
of container near to the container at inland
Operation elements:
30
Polzug offers a roundtrip 3 5 times a week and transports around 56 TEU per train. The majority of the import
containers are full whereas the export containers are empty. The MoT capacity is up to 300 TEUs per week and
direction. The average load is 8 tons per TEU. In 2006 the company consist of 140 employees, owns or operates 8
inland terminals in Poland and transport volumes amount to 120.000 TEUs. For pre or pst road haulage 2/3 axel trucks
and 273 axel container chassis are used. The fuelconsumption is estimated with 30l/100km.
There is some pilferage and sometimes there are delays in the delivery. Sometimes clients complain. However
forwarder are satisfied, if the cargo is delivered and the container is returned in time.
ECONOMIC
ECONOMICASPECTS
ASPECTS
Price
Price ofof terminal-toterminal-toterminal
terminalmain
mainhaulage
haulage
Price
Priceofofpre-haulage
pre-haulage
(from
(fromshipper
shippertoto
terminal)
terminal)
Price
Priceofofpost-haulage
post-haulage
(from
(fromterminal
terminaltoto
consignee)
consignee)
Transhipment
//
Transhipment
handling
costs
handling costs
Other
Othercosts
costs/ /fees
fees
40
40Unit
Unitwith
withless
lessthan
than16,5
16,5t t
740,-EURO
or
1250,-SL
740,-EURO or 1250,-SL
Paid
Paidbybythe
theclient
clienttotoshipping
shipping
line
line
Total
Totalcosts
costs(%)
(%)one
oneway
way
150,-150,--EURO
EUROfor
forfirst
firstring
ring3535
km
km
Included
Includedininrail
railcost
cost
Interchange
InterchangeT1
T1ininPoland
Poland50,50,-EURo
-EURo
Transport price: Roundtrip is almost the same price between Polzug and road transport. The oneway price of train
transports amounts to around 70% of raod transport.
Polzug GmbH did not receive any subsidies.
During the marketing campaign Polzug particularly stresses the environmental badvantages of rail transport.
Avoided fuel consumption: 10.6 m litres

solution, the transportations will cause the emission of 38 thousand tons of CO2 per year, whereas the intermodal
solutions causes emissions for less then 10 thousand tons. Such reduction corresponds to taking some 31 thousand
trucks off of the road in one year.
LESSONS LEARNT
Communication campaigns, training and changes in the regulatory framework e.g. border crossing procedures would
support the project. However, in general railway companies are not flexible enough. Furthermore the network requires
improvement. Higher frequencies, wider time windows, a higher number of shippers as well as more standardised
railway equipment would increase efficiency. Polzug GmbH expects for the next 5 10 years an increase in the flow of
goods, a diversification of the type of goods and a diversification of the type of shippers as well as optimisation of
equipment and technologies.They would be interested to organise new intermodal connections.
Contacts:
Email
Tel:
31
Marcel Samer - Marketing Director

Polzug Intermodal GmbH
Burchardkai D-21129 Hamburg
Marcel_Samer@polzug.de
+49(0)40 74114543
Transfennica
32
Transfennica
Actors involved
Shipper: Unknown
Forwarder: Road haulage
company A
Operator: Transfennica
Nature of the Project
Route
Port of Bilbao-Zeebrugge, ro-ro

service linking the Iberian
Peninsula and the area of the
Benelux Countries, Germany and
Northern France
Type of goods: Palletized goods
Starting date: June 2007
Route
Hinterland to Bilbao
250 km
Bilbao to Zeebrugge
1400 km
Zeebrugge to hinterland
200 km

Operator and routes
Transfennica
operate the service
running from Zeebrugge to Bilbao on 26th September. Every Monday,
Logistics actions/transport
chain
Wednesday
andAFriday
there
is a sailing
from both
ports.
Thefruit
transit
time between
both
ports
is only 38 hours.
Fruit Company
is a fruit
producer
in Morocco.
They
export
on pallets,
and one
of the
destinations
is
The
vessels, in
mvBarcelona.
Friedrich Russ
and mv Elisabeth
Russ,
take
up each
to 190
trailersconsists
as well as
some45
containers.
Mercabarna
Two deliveries
a week are
made
and
delivery
of four
pallet wide
reefer containers weighing approximately 25 tonnes. An average of 400 containers per year are sent. The
A
number ofbelong
leading
companiesThe
haveoperation
decided time
to ship
a largeofpart
of their
North-European
containers
to Spanish
Acciona transport
Transmediterrnea.
consists
1 day
for transport
to
freight
through
the Bilbao-Zeebrugge
of Transfennica.
Casablanca,
1 day
transport per ship route
and then
1 day transport to Barcelona. Reliability is high with over 70%
of deliveries arriving with a delay of less than 1 hour A delay of 24 hours would be the maximum allowed for
They
example of companies like Bridgestone, LKW Walter, Ewals Cargo Care and Heitrans. This
thesefollow
type ofthe
goods.
development is seen as a big breakthrough in the Spanish market. Also the well known Grupo TT and Chin
S.A.
have decided
to use
the services
of Transfennica.
On a
yearly
basisthat
140,000
of May
cargo2008.
is shifted
The shipping
service
described
is an initial
trial by Acciona
Rail
Services
lastedtonnes
until 31
from
road to
Following
theshortsea.
success of the trial, Acciona Transmediterranea is planning on starting the service again.
The operation is principally conditioned by the infrastructures in the port of Bilbao that currently consist of a
special portainer and double lane Ro-Ro ramps. The port also has a parking space for 366 lorries, a direct
access to the port from the principal motorways and a railway connection. At the port of Bilbao the loading and
unloading ramp is being adapted. The ramp is also being broadened to allow faster loading and unloading.
Road haulage company A ships on average ten 40 containers on each of the 3 weekly shippings. These all
contain paletized goods and do not require any special handling. The average load in a container is 12 tonnes.
The operation time is composed of a half day from pick up to port, 38 hours shipping and then most drop-off
points for this company lie within a half days journey of Zeebrugge. The shipping company places its own
containers at disposal (20ft & 40ft palletwide and palletwide high cube) and it also offers opportunities for the
shipment of trailers and shippers owned containers.
33
Economic aspects
Road Haulage Company A estimates that the shipping via the ro-ro service is 15% cheaper per ILU than the
alternative route by road. The change from the all road route to the route with shipping involved no investment
costs on behalf of Road Haulage Company A. The shipments sent with Transfennica account for
approximately 40% of the total transport volume moved by the Road Haulage Company A. They use no other
intermodal services where road transport is an alternative. No financial support is provided by either local or
national governments in Spain. The initiative has requested an EC grant of 6,800,000 euros under the Marco
Polo support scheme.
In this best practice, ten 40containers are sent 3 times a week from Bilbao to Zeebrugee. This avoids the
transport emissions caused by roughly 1500 trucks per year making the journey of 1200km (Bilbao Paris Zeebrugge). There are also some areas of congestion along this route. When road transport is used, roughly
30% of return trips are empty whereas with shipping transport nearly 90% of returns are taken advantage of.
KEY DATA
Emissions avoided in tons of CO2: 464
% of emissions avoided: 13%
avoided: 1500
Fuel consumption avoided: 174k l
Advantages of the intermodal solution

- High volume/flow aggregation
- Reliability and punctuality (practically all shipments arrive within 6 hours of scheduled time)
- Environmentally friendly
- Higher load factor in the round-trip
- Fits with transport/logistic requirements of specific goods
- Real-time localisation of the containers
- Fixed departure and transit times (reserved spaces on rail and ferry connections)
Quote from customer; By using Transfennica service the productivity of our trucks grows, because they can
stay in Spain. We also have problems with the driving time, fuel prices, permits, taxes, traffic jams and toll
prices in France. Besides these savings and advantages the use of Transfenica service is also better for the
environment.
Lessons learnt
This project has been very succesfull. An additional investment of 950,000 is now being made in Bilbao Port
which will make it possible to load and unload trailers and other heavy means of transport, as well as
machines, up to no less than 250 tonnes. The work started in September and will be completed in December
of this year.
In the future, Transfennica intends to increase the service to 6 departures per week. It can be seen that a
good reliable integral service can provide a competitive alternative to road transport.
34
Acciona
35
Acciona Rail Services

Actors involved
Shipper: Fruit Company
Operator: Acciona Rail Services
Route
Road transport to Port of

Casablanca, shipping from Port
of Casablanca to Algeciras, train
transport from Algeciras to
Barcelona, road transport from to
final customer.
Type of goods: Palletized fruit
Starting date: 11 December 2004
Route
Moulouya to
Casablanca
270 km
Casablanca Port to
Algeciras
380 km
Algeciras to
Barcelona
950 km
Barcelona to
market
10 km

Operator and routes
Acciona Rail Services has a regular service between the ports of Algeciras and Barcelona. This rail service
collects containers with perishable goods from Morocco and cisterns with chemical products (dangerous
goods) from the Campo de Gibraltar zone (Algeciras). Therefore, part of the maritime cabotage cargo passes
over to rail, thus taking advantage of being able to move smaller loads more regularly, and also some loads
are transferred from road to rail.
Acciona Rail Services has undertaken to use 15 of the 21 wagons that make up each train to transport loads
that originated in Morocco.
The company uses multiuse containers for this service. These are temperature controlled units for the
perishable goods in the south-north direction and conventional containers for the return journey in the northsouth direction carrying scrap, water and other non-refrigerated products.
The service started in December 2007 and has one train per day in each direction. The time taken to cover the
1.250km is similar to that by road (the journey by road is 1.130 km, of which 1.100 km are 4-lane motorways).

Fruit Company A is a fruit producer in Morocco. They export fruit on pallets, and one of the destinations is
Mercabarna in Barcelona. Two deliveries a week are made and each delivery consists of four 45 pallet wide
reefer containers weighing approximately 25 tonnes. An average of 400 containers per year are sent. The
containers belong to Acciona Transmediterrnea. The operation time consists of 1 day for transport to
Casablanca, 1 day transport per ship and then 1 day transport to Barcelona. Reliability is high with over 70%
of deliveries arriving with a delay of less than 1 hour A delay of 24 hours would be the maximum allowed for
these type of goods.
The shipping service described is an initial trial by Acciona Rail Services that lasted until 31 May 2008.
Following the success of the trial, Acciona Transmediterranea is planning on starting the service again.
36
Economic aspects
Fruit Company did not wish to reveal any pricing arrangements it had in place before adopting the service or
prices of the current service. The change from the all road route to the route with shipping involved no
investment costs on behalf of Fruit Company. The shipments sent with Acciona Rails Services accounted for
approximately 10% of the total transport volume moved by the Fruit Company. They use no other intermodal
services where road transport is an alternative. No financial support is provided by either local or national
governments in Spain nor Morocco.
In this best practice, eight 45 reefer containers a week are sent by train from Algeciras to Barcelona. This
avoids the transport emissions caused by roughly 400 trucks per year making the journey of 1100km
(Algeciras Madrid Barcelona). When road transport is used, roughly 50% of return trips are empty whereas
with rail transport nearly 90% of returns are taken advantage of.
KEY DATA
Emissions avoided in tons of CO2:
304
Number of equivalent heavy
vehicles avoided: 400

Using a shipping by train concept, this intermodal solution has the advantage of being:
- Door-to-door transport via efficient ports
- Cheaper than road haulage
- Reliability and punctuality
- Higher load factor in the round-trip
- Fits with transport/logistic requirements of specific goods
Lessons learnt
ACCIONA Rail Services, is the first private rail company to operate in Spain. It is the first intermodal land, sea
and rail route between Morocco and Europe. It could thus be deduced that the privatisation of the rail services
in Spain increases the opportunities for intermodal transport.
This service proved beneficial to Fruit Company from a purely logistical point of view as well as from an
environmental point of view. In fact the logistical advantages are what prompted them to use this solution.
Fruit Company are examining if similar services are available in Italy.
CONTACT:
Website: http://www.acciona-railservices.com/
Acciona Rail Services, S.A
Avda. Suiza 18-20, 28820 Coslada (Madrid)
Tel. 91 722 78 24 Fax: 91 670 82 14
Email: direccion@accionarail.es
37
AgroHandel
38
Agro Handel
Actors involved
Port terminal operator: Bajai

Orszgos Kzforgalm Kikt /OKK/
(Baja Public Port)
Shipper: all firms delivering
agricultural products concerned to
Baja OKK
Operator of BP: Agro Handel
Hungaria Kft. (limited liability
company)

road - in-land waterway road
Sector of activity: production
,storage, loading /unloading
ships, barges, trains, trucks
Type of goods: agricultural
products
Starting date: 2003. (silo of Agro
Handel Hungaria Kft.)
Route

Baja is located on the left bank of the Danube in southern Hungary, some 30 km from the border triangle between Hungary, SerbiaMontenegro, and Croatia. The nearest border crossing points for trucks into Serbia- Montenegro and Croatia are to be found
approximately 50 km from Baja. The proximity of the Danube and the towns geographical location have played an important role in its
development. Baja is the main traffic junction not only of southern Hungary, but also of the region. The Town Council welcomes all
potential investors, evaluating each project on its individual metrics. As the southern Water-gateway to the EU, generous subsidies and
allowances are offered, based on the expected impact of the investment on the region and on Bajas economic and social development.
An industrial park in the eastern part of Baja, with all the infrastructure, is ready for investors. These 41 hectares are expected to provide a
location for 40 new enterprises and provide employment for more than 1000 people within the next two years. The planned investment of
2,5 million euro is hoped to generate 56 million euro additional income of which 8% from export.
Baja Public Port is the second most important Hungarian port of the Danube-Main-Rhine waterway system. It has a direct waterway link to
the North and Black sea as well. Baja has a centuries-old tradition of shipping and port operation. It played a distinguished role as a transit
station in the trade directed at the Far-East. The completion of the Danube-Main Channel resulted in intensified traffic from the South to
the North, with ships under German, Belgian and Dutch flags.
In 1992 the Government declared Baja Port a Public Port. This means that from that date onwards the State has guaranteed the operation
of the port. In 1999 a company was founded to operate the OKK on an area extending over 21 hectares. Its main task ever since has
been to ensure the best possible standard of service according to international and national norms. As Baja is located in the middle of the
most transport junction of Southern Hungary, it is in the best position to become the main logistics centre of the region.

A new company called Agro Handel Hungaria Kft. dealing with agricultural industry settled down in this port. Its main activity is production,
warehousing, loading / uploading and transportation of agricultural merchandise. When the firm balanced measured its expenditures
decided to optimize its activity and found that deployment and use of own cereal storage silos would be more efficient than paying for it to
another supplier thus in 2003 the new silos and loading equipment were put into operation. Since then renting them have not meant
additional costs, moreover the company has been able to render this service to other partners and thus make extra income. Agro Handel
Hungaria Kft. provides additional services with this operation like organisation of transportation, quality inspection, custom clearance
services, plant and animal health control.
Naturally special processes were set up to implement the adopted solution like test period (test of equipment), special tariff for the
beginning period as special introductory price, reorganisation of the logistic chain, harsh marketing reform.

From the technical point of view it was crucial that the company settled from Germany meaning the best quality and modern technology
and thereby operating with the best efficiency. In the port buildings and all the equipment are in the corporations property but the
territories and quay walls are state-owned. This means that they continually operate under control, must report the turnover regularly and
are subjected to have checks concerning its turnover increase. There is fully/holistic proprietary responsibility regarded to each
stakeholder in this corporation. All materials and equipment (cranes, container handling cranes, product loading equipment, scales, semi
trailers, big-bag etc) are owned by the corporation and they take all the financial and other risks as well. With their terminals outstanding
capacity is suitable to handle cereals (e.g. barley, wheat, maize etc.) and oil seeds (e.g. rapeseeds, sunflower etc.) as well.
The technology itself consists of the reception hall, technological tower, four silos (2500 t each) and a ship loading bridge. In the reception
hall every kind of road vehicles can be emptied from the little pulleys to the big high lifting kippers even under the most extreme weather
conditions. As it is equipped with a high capacity sucking system no dangerous dust emission is allowed. Enormous elevators, floating
(ship loading) scale, sucking system centre, control room can be found in the technological tower. With the help of the wide loading band
and the automatically controlled loading pipe all kinds of Danube ships can be loaded at every water level with high speed. Two road
scales (full and empty) help to maintain a fast daily overturn. The whole technology is PC controlled so they are able to serve immediate
and sharp data to their potential partners.
In their lab every kind of fast tests can be made according to their partner's protocols or contracts. Their storing and loading technology
meets the highest environmental requirements.
39
Economic aspects
Financing of the project was completed with national and regional /local support. National support derived
from the Szechenyi Plan program and they obtained special Environmental Support as well. The gained
supports nature meant tax relief and grants to investment.
As it was mentioned above the State has guaranteed the operation of the port. The declared aim of Baja
Public Port has been to manage the assets entrusted to it by the State in the most profitable way and to
become a moving force in the development of not only the town, but also of the whole region.
Tariffs of the services depend on the transported quantity but there is a minimum amount below which
shipping business can not be transacted. Quotation is affected by the seasonal nature of agricultural industry
as well but the seasonal loading price is between 450 and 650 HUF +V.A.D.
The expectation of the concerned examples evolution within the next 5-10 years is like increase in the flow of
goods, diversification in types of flows and diversification of shippers.
Baja Public Port and Agro Handel Hungaria Kft. took into particular consideration the concerned environmental
aspects from the beginning of the project and separated financial resources for them. Harsh noise, dust and
water pollution acts and rules regulate the operation. This claims a closed system with special filters, noise
screens etc environmental equipment.
It is also relevant that whit this environmental conscious operation the cooperation gets benefits to its image
meaning more contracts with new partners and expanding market at both of national and international level.
Lessons learnt
Success factors attributed to the concerned operation are decrease of cost unit, development of service
quality and rise in quantity, attainment of new markets, widening the clientele. Additional actions helped the
success of course like communication campaigns, feasibility studies, change in the regulatory framework and
non-financial support by the public.
As Agro Handel Hungaria Kft. settled from Germany the main obstacle encountered to the practice was the
lack of information and knowledge of environmental and other regulations. The lack of knowledge of the local
customs and relations also derives from this fact resulting difficulty thus disadvantage and the need of external
help. Another obstacle was the delayed support causing deferred implementation.
Question of buy/rent: Because all the territories are state owned, there is no possibility to buy them. Like in
every Hungarian port you can only rent the development territories for long term. It depends on special
agreement but mostly you can rent them for 10-50 years and in addition you get an optional right for farther
rent.
Factors supposed that would increase the efficiency of the operation are higher transported volume, higher
frequencies, wider mix of goods transported, higher number of shippers, higher competition between services
and introduction of innovative equipment.
It is well known that waterway transport is the most cost-effective way of moving goods. The strongly EU
supported intermodal transport is gaining more and more ground. In 2000 the Flemich Waterwegen en
Zeekanaal NV and the Hungarian Baja Public Port signed a cooperation agreement for know-how transfer and
information exchange with the final purpose of promoting waterway and intermodal transport between the two
countries. They trust that their present and future clients will be the ultimate beneficiaries of this cooperation
by providing them with a complex and all-round professional service, up-to-date and detailed database and an
international network of expertise.
CONTACT:
Laszlo Nagy Baja Public Port Managing Director
Tel.: + 36 79 442-502
Timea Bakos Baja Public Port, Head Clerk, International Contact Person
Tel.: +36 (30) 474-8675
Email: info@portofbaja.hu
Site: www.portofbaja.hu
40
Ambrogio
41

Name of the operator: Ambrogio Spa
Involved Actors
Forwarder: Ambrogio
Shipper: Various
Operator: Various
Route

Rail-road
Sector of activity:
Various
Type of goods:
General cargo and
chemicals
Starting date: 1985
Route
Gallarate-Muizen
1100 km

Operator and routes
Ambrogio is one of the biggest private rail-road operators. Its brand Ambrogio Intermodal Only represents
the priority given by the company to the use of intermodal. Ambrogio owns two private terminals in Italy
(Gallarate and Candiolo) and runs several other terminals in Belgium, Germany and Spain. Ambrogio
represents maybe the only Italian company integrating the functions of rail-road operator, forwarder and road
haulier, managing and offering door-to-door services through the use of rail-road combined transport. Main
customers of Gallarate-Muizen services are big logistic operators and shippers, among which ExxonMobil
(advanced technology in fuels, lubricants and services), Polimeri (plastic raw material), Reno de Medici
(manufacturer of cardboard produced using recycled raw materials), Number One Logistics (Barilla Group).

At the date the service was started (1985) the international road haulage was undergoing growing costs and
problems, especially as concerned the drivers costs. The first input for an intermodal service came from
hauliers (shippers did not seem to concern much about such problems), but also from railway operators, that
had to deal with the first container that arrived from Usa by sea.

Ambrogio provides the road haulage in the Gallarate (Milan) catchment area, with a maximum distance of
150 km form its own rail-road inland terminal in Gallarate. Ambrogio provides the combined transport
service from Gallarate to its Muizen (Mechelen) terminal in Belgium: the rail operator is BLS Cargo AG.
The service is operated through Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium. Therefore the route is along the
eastern river of the Rhine, because it is preferred to use the German railways rather than the French ones.
The infrastructure managers are RFI (Italy), SBB/BLS (Switzerland), DB (Germany), InfraBel (Belgium).
The post-haulage is provided by Ambrogio as well.
42
Operation elements
Frequency: 8 trains per week
Timetable: n.a.
Distance: 1300 km (1100 km by rail)
Operation time: A-C
Equipment: The shuttle is composed by 17 flat wagons (owned and leased) carrying 34 swap
bodies, all owned by Ambrogio and marked with its logo.
Reliability on time delivery: 100%
ECONOMIC ASPECTS
Transport price: The railway solution costs about
Total costs (%)
1100/1200 /ILU, whereas the road solution costs
1400/1500 /ILU.
Support: the project has been receiving a support
from CH, amounting to about 60-70 /ILU: it is
granted to intermodal trains operators as an
incentive to modal shift.
No. of equivalent heavy vehicles avoided: 12,998
Avoided fuel consumption: 2.3 million litres

The all-road solution would imply a number of tkm per year equal to 351.3 million. They would
result in 20277 tons of CO2. The train carries 34 ILUs per train, equal to 272 ILUs per week, with
a loading factor of more than 92%. The service is preferred mainly because of best punctuality rate
with a high degree of flexibility, with a cost saving of 25%.
LESSONS LEARNT
The service is particularly successful (LF > 92%); a new, related connection is foreseen when the
tariffs for Eurotunnel will be lowered by the English and French managers from Muizen to UK,
which at the moment is carried out by SSS.
Contacts
@ Websites
Silvana Picconi, Ambrogio SpA,

Via Tognasca, 5, I-21013 Gallarate (VA)
Ambrogio : www.ambrogio.it
Email : silvana.picconi@ambrogio.it
43
AtlasCopco
44
Atlas Copco Airpower

Involved Actors
Route

Road-IWW
Sector of activity:
High value goods for machine
and aviation industry
Type of goods:
containerised cargo
Starting date: 2003
Forwarder:
Shipper: Atlas Copco
Airpower
Terminal Operator: TCT
Willebroek
Route
Wilrijk Willebroek
12 km
Willebroek TCT Port of Antwerp

50 km

Operator and routes
Atlas Copco Airpower is located in Wilrijk, near to Antwerp (B). The company assembles high-value products for the
machine and aviation industry. These products are distributed worldwide.

About 50% of the total outbound flows are transported overseas from the port of Antwerp and occasionally from the
port of Rotterdam. Until half 2003, all transports to and from the ports were organised by truck. After delivery of a full
container at the export terminal, an empty container was picked up elsewhere in the port area and was made available at
the production site in Wilrijk for a next load. Increasing road congestion, however, has reduced the reliability of this
set-up. As a result, Atlas Copco started examining alternative solutions for its transports to and from the ports.
Moreover, the upcoming maintenance works on the motorways around Antwerp were expected to provoke long traffic
jams around the port during several months. At the same time, the inland terminal in Willebroek (TCT), which was at
that time mostly dealing with import containers and thus was confronted with a large imbalance, was looking to attract
additional export volumes to its inland terminal in order to balance the container flows. Moreover, a lot of empty
containers from several container shipping companies were stored on the inland terminal. Hence, in order to reduce the
problems of road congestion, Atlas Copco started cooperating with TCT Willebroek. From half 2003 onwards, most of
the transport flows between the ports and Atlas Copco were organised by barge. The haul between the inland terminal
and the site in Wilrijk was and still is organised by truck. The empty containers are no longer picked up in the port area.
Instead, import containers which have been returned to TCT after stripping are cleaned and made available at Atlas
Copco.

In general, all export containers to the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam are carried by barge, and
from there exported worldwide. Road transport is only used in case of time pressure. Within the
service, the storage of container at the inland container terminal is also provided.
45
Key elements
Reliability and punctuality. Flexibility: containers can be picked up or returned to the inland
terminal during the entire day. Fits with transport/logistic requirements of specific goods. High
frequency: two sailings per day between TCT and Willebroek. Other: empty depot and other
facilities at TCT.
Operation elements
Frequency: 2 sailings per day. 100 containers per week, ca 5000 containers per year, Average
tonnage per ILU: variable
Timetable: n.a.
Distance: 62 km
Operation time: n.a.
Equipment: Containers: owned by the shipping lines and stored (empty) at the inland terminal.
ECONOMIC ASPECTS
The intermodal alternative has resulted in a 2%
reduction of the total logistics costs
(for container logistics).
Total costs (%)
Avoided fuel consumption: 74 k litres

The route would be Wilrijk port of Antwerp (30 km), with heavily congested roads affected:
heavy congestion can occur on about the entire haul, especially during peak hours. In order to
implement this intermodal solution, an additional investment was needed in the form of the
development of a web application whit access for all parties involved in this logistics structure.
LESSONS LEARNT
The success of the service has relied upon: (i) an increased control over the transport and logistics
flows; (ii) high degrees of flexibility, reliability, punctuality. Although barge transport was not
considered as a feasible alternative in the beginning, it turned out to be a very reliable transport
mode. The success led to an improvement in empty container availability and the elimination of
negative impacts of road congestion and congestion at the terminal gates in the port.
Contacts
@ Websites
Atlas Copco Belgium,
Atlas Copco Belgium : www.atlascopco.be
Brusselsesteenweg 346, BE-3090 OVERIJSE +32 (0)2 689 05 11
46
Baxter
47
Baxter Healthcare
e
Involved Actors
Forwarder:
Shipper: Baxter
Terminal Operator: Avelgem
container terminal
Route

Road-IWW
Sector of activity:
Medical, pharmaceutical
Type of goods:
Containerised cargo
Starting date: 2005
Route
Port of Antwerp Avelgem 150 km
Avelgem Lessines
OR
35 km
Port of Rotterdam Avelgem 250 km

Operator and routes
Baxter International Inc. is a global healthcare company that, through its subsidiaries, assists healthcare
professionals and their patients with treatment of complex medical conditions. Baxters headquarters are
located closed to Chicago, US. Baxter employs +/- 2.000 people in Belgium and has a Research &
Development Centre in Nivelles and a manufacturing plant as well as a European distribution centre in
Lessines. The headquarters are located in Brussels.

Until 2005 the worldwide import flows of containers were transported by road from the ports of Antwerp and
Rotterdam to the European Distribution Centre in Lessines. The average transport distance between the port
of Antwerp and Lessines is 130 km. The average distance between the port of Rotterdam and Lessines is
about 230 km.
As a result of growing road congestion and increasing problems in regards to punctual and timely deliveries
of import containers at Lessines, the company has decided to look for intermodal alternatives. Rail transport
turned out not to be a feasible alternative, but barge transport on the other hand did.

The inland transport of import containers from one shipping line is organised by barge between the
ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam and the AVCT in Avelgem. There are four sailing per week
between this terminal and the port of Antwerp and six sailings per week to the port of Rotterdam.
The final haul from Avelgem to Lessines is still organised by truck over a distance of 35 km.
Within the service, the storage of container at the inland container terminal is also provided.
48
Key elements
Higher reliability and punctuality because if the elimination of the road congestion factor.
Environmental awareness. Transport lead-time: 14 hours out of Antwerp and 18 hours out of
Rotterdam: every container that leaves the port in the evening arrives the next morning in Avelgem.
High frequency: respectivily four and six sailings per week from and to Antwerp and Rotterdam.
Opportunity for moving storage: AVCT has a storage capacity of 1200 containers. Very good
service level: AVCT is now also in charge of the organisation of the transports.
Operation elements
Frequency: Antwerp Avelgem : 4 sailings / week and Rotterdam Avelgem : 6 sailings / week
- Number of ILUs per trip : between 2 and 12
- Number of ILU per year: some 2000 import containers per year
Timetable: n.a.
Distance: 185 km (from Antwerp), 285 km (from Rotterdam)
Operation time: 14 hrs (from Antwerp), 18 hours (from Rotterdam)
Equipment: Liner containers

The routes would be Antwerp-Lessines (130 km) and Rotterdam-Lessines (230 km), with heavily
congested roads in and around the ports and on the roads during peak hours. % empty return trips:
100%
LESSONS LEARNT
Although the company site is not located next to an inland waterway, barge transport has
successfully been integrated in the transport chain, thanks to reliability, punctuality, service levels,
flexibility, cost-efficiency and environmental friendliness. Therefore, the company has decided to
organise a larger share of its import (also import containers from other shipping lines) by barge.
Moreover, ideas have been formulated to transport intercontinental export containers from Lessines
to Antwerp and Rotterdam onwards. In fact, about the entire transport flows between these three
points is to be shifted from road transport to intermodal barge-road transport. Furthermore, Baxter is
one of the biggest companies in the regions. A successful modal shift I likely to inspire other
companies.
Contacts
@ Websites
Baxter SA - Production & European Distribution Center,

Boulevard Ren Branquart 80, B 7860 Lessines,
Baxter : www.baxter.be
Tel +32 068 27 22 11
49
Biard-Somadem
50
Biard Somadem
&
Combidem Investissements / Combidem Transports
Involved Actors
Forwarder: Combidem
Transports (Gentlemen du
Dmnagement - Demeco)
Shipper: Biard Somadem
Route

Rail-road
Sector of activity: Removal
Type of goods: any
Operator: Novatrans
Starting date: 2003

Route
50 km to the platform
Rungis or Valenton towards

Marseille ou Toulon : 820 km
50 km from the platform

The fowarder : Combidem Transports
In 2005, the Gentlemen du Dmnagement joined Demeco and created Combidem Transports, a freight forwarder firm
which manages the removal operations between 200 companies and minimizes returned empty trucks. The company
uses the FIDELI software available 24/24 and 7/7 which enables routing management and wagon reservation with
Novatrans and Naviland Cargo for the Bordeaux/Marseille route. Combidem Investissement was created in 1999 by the
Gentlemen du Dmnagements group. Its main activity is to buy swap bodies and rent them to all the shareholders of
the group. It owns 180 swap bodies (7m15 and 7m82 long with movable anchorage in order to be compatible with
7m15 frames. The returned empty rate amounts to lees than 25% and those swap body services enjoy a 20% annual
growth rate.
The shipper: Biard Somadem
Biard Somadem is part of the Gentlemen du Dmnagement Group. Its main activity consists in finding freight to avoid
returned empty swap bodies. Biard Somadem provides national and international removal services for private
individuals and firms and benefits from a great network of agencies (Paris, Marseille, Rennes, Toulon, Lille, etc.). 70 %
of the services are dedicated services (generally one swap body dedicated to one particular client) and 30 % of them are
consolidated services (grouping is well adapted to combined transport).

Biard has been using intermodal transport for 15 years for southbound flows between Paris and Marseille. Nowadays
Biard owns ca. 200 padded swap-bodies and has opted for intermodal transport towards the Netherlands, UK and
Germany and is seeking new intermodal links towards other countries.

The removal activity is characterised by seasonal variations (the highest pick is between June and September and, the
rest of the year, it less expensive immobilizing a swap body than a truck. One of the key reasons for choosing the
intermodal solution was that it could decrease the trucks lying time (e.g. during the drivers rest period). Thus it could
increase the number of available trucks for pre and post haulage locally. Biard uses the SAFARI software in order to
note all the demands and to enable an efficient grouping. Every padded swap body can carry 3 or 4 tons of goods;
generally 2 swap bodies are used per removal
Frequency: 5 days a week (MonFri)
Equipment: padded swap bodies
(360 in 2006)
Operation time: 8h
Reliability on delivery time: 99 %
Returned-empty rate: Northbound
flows: 40%, Southbound flows:
pretty low
51
ECONOMIC ASPECTS
(Road transport base 100)
KEY DATA
CT estimated cost is about 10 % lower
than road transport cost.
40 swap bodies: 650 000 , for buying
them (2 swap bodies and 1 chassis)
Monetary grants (20% of the total price)
from ADEME
CO2 emissions tCO2eq/year)*
KEY DATA
avoided: 322 return journeys
Fuel consumption avoided: 160,000 l
* data calculated from ADEMEs carbon balance methodology

The removal firm, thanks to the intermodal solution, can concentrate its activity around its regional agencies, the
removers can be all the more efficient that they do not have to drive more than 50 km from/to the platforms. Besides,
this solution enables the firm to face the seasonality pick without investing too much (swap bodies are cheaper than
trucks) and it is actually safer.
Another advantage is that using swap body enables easy storage without immobilizing any truck.
LESSONS LEARNT
According to the forwarder:
The most attractive points of this service are the reliability and the quality of the services.
According to the shipper:

The first bottleneck is the lack of partner hauliers equipped with frames well adapted to swap bodies and equipped with
a management software which can favour an efficient grouped management of the services. They actually represent a
pretty high investment especially for small transport firms. The second one is the lack of terminals and rail services in
cities like Bordeaux, Toulouse, Rennes or Nantes.
Contacts
@ Websites
Mrs Villemotte, Biard Somadem

Tel : +33(0)1.49.61.14.14
Email : loic.leaute@biard.net
Biard Somadem : www.biard.net

Combidem : www.combidem.com
Gilles Raynal, Combidem Transport

Tel : +33(0)5.34.27.33.60
Email :
gilles.raynal@andreraynal.com
Bernard Chion, Novatrans
Tel : +33(0)1.53.42.54.20
52
Email : bernard.chion@novatrans.fr
Les Gentlemen du Dmnagement : www.les-gd.com

Novatrans : www.novatrans.fr
Construrail
53
Construrail
Actors involved
Shipper: Construction materials
manufacturer
Forwarder: Construrail
Operator: Construrail
Route
Road transport to Coslada Dry

Port, train transport from Coslada
to Valencia, shipping from
Valencia to Genoa, road
transport from to Parma.
Type of goods: Construction
materials
Starting date: 15th February 2007
Route
Madrid to Coslada
25 km
Coslada to Valencia
350 km
Valencia to Genoa
800 km
Genoa to Parma
200 km

Construrail is made up of the following participants: 49% RENFE and 51% Continental Rail, which is part of
the ACS Group. This is a service that transports maritime containers between the dry port at Coslada in
Madrid (50% ACS Group) and the maritime container terminal at Valencia (this terminal is sub-leased to the
ACS Group). This is done by means of trains that carry 50 TEUs (in practice, the service carries twenty five
40 containers). There are 3 services in each direction per week.
The service started on the 15th February 2007. The construction materials manufacturer ships once a week
with an average of six 40 containers. The containers weigh on average 40 tonnes. The containers are loaded
just outside Madrid and brought to the the dry port at Coslada. The journey from Coslada to Valencia by train
takes approximately 4 hours. The containers are then loaded onto a container ship which leaves for Genoa
(on Fridays). ACS own the locomotives and RENFE own the carriages. This service has enabled the removal
of 150 weekly movements per road.
It is expected that this service will grow rapidly given that it is an integral port-rail service provided by a group
of companies. This is especially true if it is taken into account that Valencia is the principal gateway for foreign
trade from Madrid.

The construction materials manufacturer makes use of two services per week, on Mondays and Wednesdays.
The goods they export are all on pallets and do not require any special handling. The average load per
container is 40 tonnes. The containers in this operation belong to the shipping company Mediterranean
Shipping Company. The operation time from pick-up to delivery in Valencia Port is one day and a further day
of ship and journey to Parma. The service is provided through trains with a capacity of 50 TEUs (in practice is
25 containers of 40'), in a sense, 3 services a week. The principal types of goods are General (palletized)
cargo (95%), and the rest are other commodities (5%).
The train service is not affected by seasonality. The customer is very happy with the service.
Construrail were the first private company in Spain to fulfill all the conditions necessary to operate in Spain.
54
Economic aspects
The construction materials manufacturer did not wish to reveal any pricing arrangements it had in place before
adopting the service or prices of the current service. The change from the all road route to the route with rail
transport and ship transport involved no investment costs on behalf of the construction materials
manufacturer. The shipments sent by the customer via this route accounted for approximately 20% of the total
transport volume moved. They use no other intermodal services where road transport is an alternative.
No financial support is provided by either local or national governments in Spain.
In this best practice, three 40 containers are sent twice a week by train from Coslada to Valencia and then to
Genoa. This avoids the transport emissions caused by roughly 300 trucks per year making the journey of
1600km on sometimes heavily congested roads (Madrid Barcelona Marseille - Parma). When road
transport is used, roughly 40% of return trips are empty.
Example of February 2008 operational data for the train service from Coslada to Valencia:
Manipulation of 630 containers, with 26 trains (entries + departures). The containers are containers of 20 ', 40'
and 45 '. It moves an average of 25-26 containers by train. The length train varies from 380 m, 400 m, 420 m.
KEY DATA
443

Using a shipping by train/ship concept, this intermodal solution has the advantage of being:
Other principal reasons of the success of the operation are the regularity of the service and the competitive
price per TEU offered. The efficiency of the operation can be increased by both of a higher transported volume
and a higher frequency of the services.
Lessons learnt
The customer does not think that the positive environmental impact of the combined transport gives any
benefits to the image of your company as they have no real opportunity to broadcast the fact that transport
mode has been changed. The decision to change routes was based purely on economical and logistical
motives. The service is now very well established and serves a very important route, as Valencia is the main
export port for the Madrid region.Construrail wish to increase the service to four times per week in each
direction in the near future. The liberalization of the rail cargo transport sector is a decisive factor to allow the
successful development of this kind of operations.The principal actors in the rail section of this operation are
quite interested in organizing new intermodal connections between Coslada and the ports of Barcelona, Bilbao
and Algeciras.
Contacts

CONSTRU-RAIL, S.A. C/Orense, 11. 2 Planta, 28020 MADRID
Telf.: 915980770 Fax: 915980774 constru-rail@constru-rail.es
55
@ Websites
Constru-Rail : www.constru-rail.es
Corman
56
Corman
General cargo, dairy products
ACTORS INVOLVED
NATURE OF THE
PROJECT
ROUTE
Forwarder :
Shipper : Corman
Operator : a barge operator
and various road haulage
companies
Type of CT: IWW/road

Sector of activity:
Distribution industry
Type of goods: dairy
products
Starting dates:
2005 Corman
ROUTE
Liege Rotterdam
Liege Production site
230 km
40 km

Corman is active in the food industry and is located near to Lige. It produces 400 different kinds of butter products. The butter is
purchased in different European countries and in New Sealand. After a physical and natural transformation, the end products are
distributed worldwide.

The project started in 2005.
OPERATION ELEMENTS
Frequency: daily
Timetable:
Distance: 270 km (245km by road)
Operation time: 3 days (1day road)
Reliability on delivery time:100 %
Equipment: Containers (among
which 50% reefer containers),
owned by shipping lines. Trucks
and barges, owned by the relevant
trucking or barge companies

The inbound flows from European locations and overseas regions via the ports of
Antwerp and Rotterdam are all transported by road. The European outbound flows
are also transported by road. Until recently the same was true for the
intercontinental outbound flows which are shipped from the ports of Antwerp and
occasionally also from Rotterdam to worldwide destinations. In order to create a
green image and to correspond to social requirements on the fields of
environment and mobility, various alternatives have been examined to redesign the
transports between the production location and both seaports. Several test with rail
transport did not generate positive results. Barge transport via the Albert Canal
between the inland port of Lige and the seaports, however, has proven to be a very
reliable transport mode. In a 2-year period, not a single closing of the ocean carriers
has been missed.
Key elements
Punctual arrivals: so far, no closings have been missed. Moreover, the barge service
has improved significantly since the beginning of the project, coming from one
barge and two sailings per week to daily departures with two barges.
57
ECONOMIC ASPECTS
KEY DATA
No significant differences on economic aspects in comparison
to the all road solution
When using intermodal transport, it takes about three days to
transport a container from the port to the production site and
back. The road haul takes only one day.
KEY DATA
CO2 emissions (tCO2eq/year)

avoided: 196

Congestion problems in and around the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam, and all related problems such as waiting hours at the
terminals and problems with the loading schedule at production location, can partially be avoided.
The company is willing to increase the share of intermodal transport, but is faced with some problems as described above.
Elimination of these bottlenecks will certainly lead to new volumes being shifted from road to barge.
LESSONS LEARNT
The main problem are the empty containers. In theory, an import container could be reloaded after unloading at the production
plant. In reality however this is not feasible. The shipping lines differ for import and export and the containers are owned by these
shipping lines. Therefore, containers mostly have to be returned to an empty container depot. The same is true for export
containers, which mostly have to be picked up empty in the port area prior to loading. Hence every container still involves two
transports of which one is empty.
Another problem concerns the availability of reefer containers. Most shipping lines are not willing to release an empty reefer
container three days before closing, the time that is needed in case of intermodal transport.
The factors that would increase the frequency of the operations are :
- Higher frequencies
- Introduction of innovative equipment
- Other : introduction of innovative concepts
Contacts
@ Websites
Corman, +32 / (0)87-34 22 11
Corman : www.corman.be
E-mail : corman@corman.be
Laurent Avella Shaw: Managing Director, Corman
58
Corus
59
Corus
General (palletised) cargo :steel products
ACTORS INVOLVED
NATURE OF THE
PROJECT
ROUTE
Forwarder : Type of CT: IWW/road

Sector of activity: Steel
production
Type of goods steel
products
Starting dates:
2000, Corus
Shipper : Corus
Operator : Corus
ROUTE
Ijmuiden - Gelsenkinrchen
232 km

Corus is a major steel producer. They exploite an important site in Ijmuiden along the Northsea Canal between Amsterdam and the
North Sea. Corus Logistics & transport
deals with
someTECHNICAL
7 million tons of outbound
flows per year, mainly for the automotive,
LOGISTICS
AND
ORGANISATION
construction and packaging industry. The company has its own port installation with two quays and an all-water-terminal.
The clients of Corus Steel are located all over the world.

Before the start of this project (2000), the company was not really looking into alternative transport solutions. However, as a result
of the possibility to obtain subsidies from the Dutch government, the company has started reviewing transport and investigating
the alternatives for its outbound flows. A possible modal shift from road to barge and rail transport has been investigated. Two
routes were envisaged:
- Ijmuiden -> Ruhr area (Germany): barge between Ijmuiden and Gelsenkirchen; - Ijmuiden -> Corbeil
OPERATION ELEMENTS
(France): rail. A reduction of 4.4 million tonkilometers in road transport was targeted.

During the implementation period, the transport between Ijmuiden and Gelsenkirchen
has been organised with 2 barges, which have transported a total, 58,000 tons during
that year. On top of this volume some 8,000 tons of cargo from other shippers have
been transported.
Frequency: Timetable:
Key elements
Concerning North & South flows the flows are unbalanced, with full cargoes in the
northbound route and empty ones in the southbound route.
Distance: 232 Km
Operation time: Reliability on delivery time: 100
%
Equipment: -
60
ECONOMIC ASPECTS
KEY DATA
CT estimated cost is about 19 % lower than road transport cost.
Corus reduces its total logistic costs
Corus obtained a national support in order to facilitate the
operation
KEY DATA

avoided: 2240

The intermodal solution causes a reduction of the direct transport costs and an improvement of the
competitive position of the company.
LESSONS LEARNT
According to the forwarders:
The success factors behind the concerned operations are:
- Structured approach
- The modal shift has been realised in a professional and a well-considered way
- Good agreements with intermodal operators
61
Decathlon
62

TAB- DECATHLON
ACTORS INVOLVED
NATURE OF THE
PROJECT
ROUTE
Forwarder : Dcathlon
Type of CT: Rail/road
Sector of activity:
specialized distribution
Shipper : TAB
Type of goods: sport

articles
Operator : T3M
Starting date: 2003
ROUTE
Saint Martin de Crau

/ Marseille
75 km
Marseille / Valenton
(rail transport)
Paris towards Bussy Saint Georges or

Brtigny-sur-Orges or Caen
840 km
55 km (Bussy, Brtigny) , 230 km (Caen)

Saint Martin de Crau is the second largest Dcathlons continental warehouse (stacking area: 50,000 m).TAB carries sport articles from Spain,
Portugal and China where they are made. TAB is specialized in Road-Rail combined transport for the distribution industry. TAB operates, using
its own swap bodies (700), a network with more than 200 units per day. It created in 2000, T3M (les transports du troisime millnaire), road-rail
CT new operator.
Each day about 100 swap bodies are (un)loaded in Marseille Canet terminal. Trains linking Paris (Valenton) to Marseille are directly operated by
T3M.
Presently, Dcathlon is one of the main clients of TAB and its whole traffic between Marseille, Paris and Dourges is carried by Road-Rail
combined transport.

Presently, Dcathlon is one of the main clients of TAB and the whole traffic of the former between Marseille, Paris and Dourges is carried by
Road-Rail combined transport.
At the beginning, Dcathlon had the possibility to test the service, while TAB committing itself to meet the standards of high quality of service.
LOGISTICS
AND
TECHNICAL
ORGANISATION
LOGISTICS
AND
TECHNICAL
ORGANISATION
Sport articles made in China are carried by sea to the port of Fos. Those made in Spain, Portugal,
Italy and France are carried by road.
All the items are then gathered in the terminal of Saint Martin de Crau. Inland haulages from/to
Marseille-Canet are provided by TAB, 6 days a week, 3 times a day (except to Caen).
In the terminal of Marseille-Canet, stevedoring is provided by Naviland Cargo. Swap bodies are
transhipped on T3M trains thanks to 3 reach stackers. A single train can be loaded in 2h30. It is
noteworthy that measures have been overtaken in order to reinforce safety on the site.
From Marseille-Canet, trains leave at 8 pm and arrive in Valenton at 6 am. 40% of the goods are then
OPERATION ELEMENTScarried to Brtigny-sur-Orges, 40%to Bussy-St-Georges and 20% to Caen.

Timetable:
Marseille: 8 pm
Valenton: 6 am
Distance: 840 km
Operation time: 10h
Equipment: swap bodies
Key elements
Dcathlon has demanded high quality of services from TAB: 95% of the required swap bodies must
be delivered, 90% of reliability in loading delays and 95% of reliability achieved in the final
deliveries.
Seasonality peaks are observed from November to December and then from April to September.
Actually, TAB benefits from an increase in volume-absorbing capacity. Indeed, on one hand, TAB
works for different companies having different sensualities, and, on the other hand, TAB, calling for
T3M, benefits from the controlling of railway and road supplies.
63
ECONOMIC ASPECTS
KEY ELEMENTS
North-South bound: CT estimated cost is between 10 %

and 20 % lower than road transport cost.
A swap body costs between 7,000 and 8,000 . TAB has

benefited from monetary grants (20% of the total price)
from ADEME, for buying swap bodies and chassis
T3M benefits from a State aid to facilitate the operation
KEY DATA

between Marseille and Valenton from January 2006 to December 2006.

avoided: 930

Even if railway transport is less flexible than road transport, it offers great advantages:
Transit time is shorter which enables Dcathlon receiving earlier all the articles.
Rail-road CT is safer and more secured (sport articles are high-added-value goods)
CT is a good alternative to road transport mainly when the weather is bad and road traffic difficult
LESSONS LEARNT
To the forwarder, this service is reliable (reliability is reinforced by the strong links between TAB and T3M), fast, safe. Besides
CT alternative is cheaper and benefits from volume-absorbing capacity. It is pretty interesting all the more so as the railway link is
longer than the road link. Ideed, it enables the forwarder to depreciate transhipment fixed cost
To a certain extent reliability can be improved since railway transport had suffered from strikes and breakdowns.
In order to optimize the service, several bottlenecks have to be reduced:
Connections between maritime and railway links should be improved.
Increase the CT connections between France and Spain/Italy.
Increase in the numbers of (un) loading points and in frequency. Indeed Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lyon and Perpignan
demands in transport are very high but those cities are poorly connected.
In order to offset the limited capacity of the railway network, TAB envisages to use 800 m trains.
Reducing the transit time by 2 hours may enable earlier deliveries and then improve Decathlon selling in shops located
far from the railway terminals.
64
DHL Freight
65
DHL Freight
Actors involved
Shipper: a company located in

Southern Italy
Forwarder: DHL Express Freight
Division
Route
From customer site (Bari hinterland)

to London hinterland
by road-rail-SSS-road
Type of goods: general cargo
Operator: various
Route
Hinterland to Bari
50 km
Bari to Zeebrugge
1900 km
Zeebrugge to Tilbury
290 km
Tilbury to London hinterland

100 km

DHL Freight operates in Italy since 1908 with the historical name of Danzas then, from 2003, as part of the group
DPWN. The brand Danzas always has been leader in the field and today DHL Freight is introduced like one of the greater
provider international of services legacies to the transport. Within DPWN Group, DHL Freight is characterized as
Business Unit dedicated to the development of the intermodal transport, the groupage and the complete charges,
supporting customers with national and/or international transport requirements.
The specialization of DHL Freight is evidenced in 4 different business divisions:
1) Services for groupage and shipments to partial cargo in Europe;
2) Regular Services to partial or complete cargo for national and international transports;
3) Customs Services;
4) Value Added Services (VAS);
The figures confirm the leadership of DHL Freight inside the specific market:
Beyond 360 international trucks
12 warehouses in Italy with 6 international gateways: Milan (2), Verona, Modena, Turin and Florence
The customer object of the case is a company located on South Italy producing assets in part delivered to the UK market.
The customer needs a complete cargo service in order to deliver goods to England. The main difficulty using the
traditional transport modality (road) is related to the following issues:
Road operators usually do not offer domestic and international transport together;
The main direction of domestic traffic is North-South: its difficult to find lines coming back to Northern Italy;
On the contrary, Italy-UK traffic flow is mainly South-North

On this context, the solution proposed by intermodal operator is very challenging and, for this reason, winning: the
intermodal approach uses the same load unit managing different shipments (to different destinations) and minimizing the
empty-transport.
In this way, through the intermodal transport its possible:
To use the cargo unit both for domestic and international lanes
To avoid that driver is on board
To cover the loss of balance optimizing time and resources
66
LOGISTIC AND TECHNICAL ORGANIZATION

45 box container: this is the best load unit for North Europe, UK, Ireland and Nordics. In terms of efficiency, security
and flexibility this is the solution closer to the customer needs.
The commercial agreement is based on the following steps:
Pick-up (customer site) and road trunking up to rail terminal : BARI
Handling and transfer to rail unit
Main haulage by rail (Bari-Zeebrugge)
Transfer to Ro-Ro
Main haulage (Zeebrugge - UK) by ship
Unloading to UK (port closer to final destination area)
Delivery by road from the port
Return of the empties to the port and possible relaunching to different destination.
The transport unit is loaded and shipped following the opposite lane: i.e. reloading on London Area for delivering to
Lombardia (North Italy): Purfleet / Zeebrugge / Milano
If the reloading activity is not possible, the empty is shipped to a Continental Port: i.e. Zeebrugge or Rotterdam or
Hamburg
Cargo Reloading for destination Italy or Greece.
ECONOMIC ASPECTS
Generally speaking, the intermodal solution offer a better level of service in terms of security (thefts and accidents) in
comparison with the road transport. In this specific case, the choice of intermodal rather than road transport produced an
economic benefit to DHL Freights customer, since DHL was able to offer a rate for Bari-UK intermodal relation 14%
lower than all-road solution.
The main drivers that made the intermodal solution cheaper than
all-road were:
The opportunity to reposition the empty loading units to

another terminal (e.g. Hamburg) if the flow is unbalanced
The cost of the rail traction, more convenient than road transport for distances over 900 km (estimation made by
DHL Freight)
DHL Freight is engaged in different green development projects. For this reason DHL Freight offers innovative and
ecological logistic service, reducing the undesired and negative consequences on the environment.
This is the reason why DHL Freight is used to develop and push the rail transport: DHL put his own know how to support
the intermodal transport development, improving the service level on an European scale.
Advantages of the intermodal solution and lessons learnt

Using a shipping by train/ship concept, this intermodal solution has the advantage of being:
67
Ewals Cargo Care
68
Ewals Cargo Care

Rice and agrobulk
ACTORS INVOLVED
NATURE OF THE
PROJECT
ROUTE
Forwarder :
Sector of activity:
Type of goods: rice,
agrobulk
Starting dates:
2008 Ewals Cargo
Shipper :
Operator : Ewals Cargo
Care
ROUTE
North / South route
South:Nort(h route
Genk - Olen
Genk - Olen
60 km
60 km

Ewals Cargo Care provides Logistics services to a various range of customers. With 1990 employees on 49 sites in 18 countries,
the company strives for continuous improvement in the logistics chain by offering the right product and the right quantities at the
right place and time and at optimum cost. Ewals focuses on the core activities:
AND
ORGANISATION
Freight transport byLOGISTICS
using its extensive
fleetTECHNICAL
of vehicles, trailers
and intermodal units;
Storage and Value Added Logistics services at its own centrally located warehouses;
Supply chain management: total coordination of goods flows by using a network of 3rd party transport and storage capacity.
The rail route is from Novara (Italy) to the inland port of Genk in Belgium. In Genk all goods are loaded in barges toward Olen, at
a distance of 60 Km.

This pilot project has recently been activated (2008).

OPERATION ELEMENTS
Frequency: c.a. 70 yearly trips

Timetable:
Operation time:
Reliability on delivery time: 100
%
Equipment: truks, rail chassis,
barges
One of the clients from Ewals, a food company, imports rice from Italy to Belgium.
The company cooperates with several rice producers around Vercelli and Novara.
Ewals Cargo Care collects the consignments and transports them by road to the
intermodal terminal at Novara. From Novara the goods are transported by train to a
terminal at the inland port of Genk in Belgium. Upon arrival in Genk, all goods were
loaded on trucks for the final haul to Olen. In order to reduce the number of truck
moves, new and multimodal solutions have been examined. The results revealed that
there were no significant alternatives for the truck hauls in Italy. However, on the end
hauls, a modal shift can be generated from truck to barge between the inland port of
Genk and the production site in Olen, a distance of some 60 km. Upon arrival of the
trains at Genk, the containers are stored on the terminal. When the critical mass is
reached, and upon request of the client, 24 to 40 containers, which corresponds to a
consignment of 650 to 1100 tons, are discharged in a barge. Upon arrival at Olen, the
barge is discharged according to the production needs. This way, a part of the storage
at the production site is significantly reduced and shifted towards the barge.
Key elements
Heavily congested roads
69
ECONOMIC ASPECTS
KEY DATA
When only considering the transport costs per ton or per container,
the multimodal transport costs for the traject Genk-Olen are lower
than the road alternative.
n.a.
Another investment needed is the construction of a shelter at the

terminal in order to be able to guarantee operations under bad
weather circumstances. Although the transport belt itself is
sheltered, this is not the case for the open hatches of the barge
during loading.
KEY DATA

avoided: 2,250

This modal shift is a pilot project. Positive results, together with the rising fuel prices, increasing road congestion and the
growing awareness of the environmental impact of road transport, will certainly generate a further modal shift to barge
transport via the Albert Canal or other inland waterways.
LESSONS LEARNT
These are the factors that would increase the efficeny of the operations :
- Higher transported volume
- Higher frequencies
- Wider mix of goods transported
- Higher number of shippers (i.e. customers, or competitors using the same service)
- Introduction of innovative equipment
70
Grimaldi
71
Grimaldi S.A.
Actors involved
Forwarder: Company A
Shipper: Various
Operator: Grimaldi S.A.
Route
Road transport to Port of

Barcelona, shipping from Port of
Barcelona to Civitavecchia, road
transport from Civitavecchia to
final customer.
Type of goods: General cargo /
furniture
Starting date: 2004
Route
Lleida to Barcelona
180 km
Barcelona Port to Civitavecchia

1000 km
Civitavecchia to Rome
100 km

Operator and routes
Grimaldi Group Naples is one of the worlds largest privately owned shipping companies.
It has currently one of the largest fleet of purpose built Ro-Ro and multipurpose Ro-Ro vessels in Europe.
Grimaldi have a daily service from Barcelona to Civitavecchia (except Sundays). The ship departs at 19:00
and arrives at 15:00 the next day. This services transports articulated lorries, the majority of which are trailers
sent without a driver.
The vessel Ro-pax Eurostar Roma has a capacity of 110 trailers, 100 cars and 1.400 passengers and the
vessel Ro-pax Eurostar Barcelona has a capacity of 117 trailers, 202 cars and 1.400 passengers.
This service has the advantage of operating a mixed goods / passenger regime, which assures the viability
and long term availability to a much better degree than if the service was only goods.

Company A is a small freight forwarding company based in Lleida, Catalonia who have two medium sized
clients that use this route. They work primarily with a Spanish transport group that move their articulated
lorries using the Grimaldi short-sea-shipping. Company A organizes that the containers are picked up at their
clients 3 times a week. Both of their clients send on average two 40 containers per trip with an average weight
of 15 tons. One of their clients exports general cargo on pallets and the other exports furniture. These
shipments do not require any special handling. The containers used in the operation belong to Grimaldi
shipping. The operation time is composed of a half day from pick up to port, 18 hours shipping and additional
half day from port to the delivery point.
The shipping service is not affected by seasonality and Company A considers the quality of service to be
excellent, with sufficient frequency and dependable delivery times.
72
Economic aspects
Company A did not wish to reveal any pricing arrangements it had in place before adopting the service or
prices of the current service.
The change from the all road route to the route with shipping involved no investment costs on behalf of
Company A nor its clients that use the service.
No financial support is provided by either local or national governments in Spain.
In this best practice, eighteen 40 containers a week are shipped from Barcelona to Civitavecchia. This avoids
the transport emissions caused by roughly 900 trucks per year making the journey of 1300km.
KEY DATA
768

Using a short sea shipping concept, this intermodal solution has the advantage of being:
- Cheaper than road haulage
- Reliable
- Higher security than in road transport
- Low sensibility to the oil price fluctuations
Main competitiveness factors:
Characteristics
All-road
Flexible times
Intermodal operation Rigid times
Volume
Low
Very High
Cost
Economical
Economical
Environmental
Aggressive
Clean
Lessons learnt
The service is well established, and has, among others, the advantage of operating under mixed cargo and
passenger, which ensures the viability of the service.
Company A stresses that a good disposition of Italians carriers for cabotage services was a key factor in
ensuring the success of the service.
Company A is examining the possibilities of expanding it services on other routes from Barcelona to Italy.
73
Kombisztar / Philips
74
Kombisztar/Philips
Actors involved
Shipper: Philips et al
Forwarder: Eurosped
Operator: Kombisztar
Route
Rail road transport from Koper to

Szkesfehrvr through
Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary
Type of goods: Components,
furniture, facet marble slabs, cold
tiler substances, chemicals
Starting date: 1996
Route
Koper
Szkesfehrvr
437 km
Szkesfehrvr rail station LSCSZ

terminal
4 km
Terminal Philips
factory
1.7 km

The LOGISZTR Ltd. was founded in 1996. A study was prepared by Hungarian Logistics Service Centre
about the route of flow of materials in Hungary. In this survey Szkesfehrvr was ranked on third place. The
development of Hungarian Logistics Service Centre began with a state support after that. Starting 1998, the
foundation of the combiterminal, the construction of depository halls, the forming of the central office building
and the customs area, and additional extensions took place in the company's life. The company marked a
turning point its intermodal transport system by adopting buck crane, which resulted in the expansion of
transshipment capacity of combiterminal and the opportunity of sending container trains towards Koper and
Rotterdam.
The LSCSZ is connected less then 2 km far to motorway M7, and from main roads 63, 7, 8 and 82. Hence it
has a direct connection with the North-South and East-West European transit trade corridors. Besides the
Logistics Service Centre also has a direct railway connection, at the border it is connected to the Shell Gas
industrial towing track. The railway station in Szkesfehrvr provides contact in 7 directions. (to Budapest,
Nagykanizsa, Szombathely, Tapolca, Komrom, Srbogrd and Pusztaszabolcs). The LSCSZ is establishing
its contact with air cargo. The former military airport at Brgnd later allowing landing and taking off medium
heavy aircrafts, using for business purpose.
PHILIPS is the most important client of KOMBISZTR Ltd. It can be found 1,7 km from the LSCSZ. As a result
of the supply demand of PHILIPS the change to shuttle train was necessary. The first shuttle train arrived in
2006. Thereafter it regularly runs once a week. It arrived to the terminal at night on Tuesday, and they had
only one day to send it back. The shuttle train is able to deliver 80 TEU-s and it is about 550m long. The
terminal has 2 pairs of trails with lengths of 370m. The unloading happened by mobile truck, with which only
one rail was accessible. They often had to move and changed the trains on the tracks, the railway carriage
was provided by Hungarian railways which often took time. Later on because of the growth in traffic the
fulfillment of customers' demands with one shuttle train per a week could not happen, thus the company had
to face serious decisions. Two solutions were found. One of them was to make longer the moving area next to
one of the tracks and with this they could increase the moving area of the mobile truck as well. It would be
cost a lot, and would not increase the capacity enough. The other opportunity arrived from Budapest. The
container terminal in Jzsefvros (Budapest) was relocated from the centre of Budapest to another container
terminal called Budapest Intermodal Logistics Centre and during the relocation on buck crane became
unserviceable. So it was possible to install the buck crane into the LSCSZ. In August of 2006 the procedure of
installation of the buck crane was seen through. The operation time decreased from 24 hours to 8 hours with
the buck crane and became independent of the railway service which effected a significant increase in
capacity for the company. The extended capacity made the company possible to receive 4 shuttle trains and
according to the forecast for 2008 the clients will lay a claim to this. Besides with the installation of the buck
crane the transport connection between harbor Koper and Szkesfehrvr was built.
75

The KOMBISZTR Ltd. is involved in the last period of an intermodal transport route. Cargo is arrives from
China to the port of Koper (Slovenia) then it is transported on railway to the railway station of Szkesfehrvr,
where it is put on the shuttle train. The shipment arrives at the Logistics Service Centre on shuttle train and
the containers are put onto trucks by buck crane and taken to the consignee. Within this transport route the
KOMBISZTR Ltd. is the operator of the inland terminal, and it is dealing with the transshipment of goods.
Other contractors are take part in of transport: Masped - Schenker and EUROSPED Co. as shipper, NijhofWassink as a road hauler and the MV CARGO (Hungarian railway group) is responsible for the
transportation by train.
Economic aspects
Being part of the intermodal transport and installing the buck crane, created a favourable position for the
LSCSZ from an economic point of view. Launching shuttle trains also helped to create this favourable position,
compared to the use of only road transport. Since railway transport is less effected by the changes of the oil
prices, it is a more economic way of transport and huge amount of cargo can be transported at one time. They
can deliver 80 TEU-s on one shuttle train as the rules say.
By installing the buck crane the LSCSZ can function in a more economical way.
On the one hand the time of craning has decreased to its one third, so the company is able to receive more
shuttle trains so it increased the capacity. On the other hand the buck crane works with electricity whereas the
previously used mobile trucks work with gas-online.
Unit cost of one lift was reduced by 20% replacing the mobile track.
The usage of the train and a buck crane is also essential from the environmental aspect. Because the train is
more advantageous from economic aspect it is more favourable, than the road transport alone, it is meet
environmental protection requires. The company has not only kept thrift in mind when the buck crane was
installed, it was important for the company that the operation pollutes the environment with using of mobile
truck because it uses diesel. While the buck crane uses electricity and it does not pollute the environment so
the air pollution from transhipment has declined to zero. For LSCSZ, such as todays biggest leading
companies, besides thrift environment protection lays emphasis on bigger and bigger emphasis lays on
environment protection. The aims of the company includes the development, the extension of intermodal
transport, the re-route of public traffic to railroad and the application of effective mechanized material
transport. Currently only 7-8 % of transports materializes only on a public road, which may increase, because
of the emergency demand to 10-15% in autumn.
Lessons learnt
The installation of the buck crane the way of intermodal forwarding of LSCSZ and took further steps to protect
the environment. The development of the combiterminal happening with the buck crane the centre has filled
the requirement of the has already been prepared for the traffic expansion of earlier mentioned containers.
With the acquisition and installation of the buck crane the company didnt meet with difficulties. The LSCSZ is
an important traffic hub on national and international level. This development was national interest, this is the
reason why they could get the buck crane.
Contacts
Lszl Firnicz chief executive
KOMBISZTR Kft .- Combiterminal Operation and Development Ltd of Szkesfehrvr,
7. Vsrhelyi t, Szkesfehrvr 8000 Hungary
Telephone: +36-22-522-222 . Fax: +36-22-522-227
E-mail: firnicz.laszlo@invitel.hu
76
Les Rapides Bleus
77
Les Rapides Bleus

ACTORS INVOLVED
NATURE OF THE
PROJECT
ROUTE
Forwarder : Office DEPOT
Shipper : Les Rapides Bleus

Operator : Froidcombi

Sector of activity:
wholesale, office supplies,
fresh fruits & vegetables
Type of goods: fresh
products & office
equipment
Starting dates:
1997 Froidcombi
2005 Rapides Bleus
ROUTE
North / South route
Survilliers - Valenton
38 km
Valenton - Avignon
rail transport
593 km
South:Nort(h route
Avignon St Martin de Crau
40 km
Eyragues Avignon
25 km
Avignon - Valenton
rail transport
593 km
Valenton - Rungis
10 km

Froidcombi is specialised in controlled temperature transport and provides services to shippers. Its main shareholders are SNCF
(49%), TFE (25%) and la Flche Cavaillonnaise (25, 5%). Since 1997, , Froidcombi has proovided services on the AvignonTECHNICAL
Paris-Lille (Dourges) axis andLOGISTICS
put into service AND
the Perpignan-Rungis
lineORGANISATION
in September 2006 and actually has been working with
Les Rapides Bleus since 2005.

Les Rapides Bleus is actually a new client of Froidcombi. Rail/road CT represents 10% of the former shipper and owns more
than 30 vehicles. Froidcombi first let Les Rapides Bleus use one swap body in order to test rail/road CT before committing itself
to the project. Thereafter, Les Rapides Bleus bought 4 swap bodies in 2006 and then other 2 in 2007.
OPERATION ELEMENTS

Timetable:
Paris Avignon
20h30- 4h30
Avignon Paris
20h00 4h00
Les Rapides Bleus provides inland transport collecting 15 fresh vegetables & fruits
producers in Eyragues region. The 40 controlled temperature swap bodies are then
loaded on the train at day A night in Avignon. It is noteworthy that Froidcombi uses
an information system which enables loading optimization.
Goods arrive early in the morning of the next day in Valenton Terminal. Then, they
are carried to Rungis Market and are delivered to more than 80 clients.
Office Depot office equipments are carried from Survilliers (Paris region) to Valenton
when they are loaded on the trains to Avignon. Equipments are then carried from
Avignon to Office Depot warehouse in St Martin de Crau.
Office Depot subcontractes inland transport from St Martin de Crau to shops located
in the South of France.
Key elements
Operation time: 8h30 (9 h by road)
Equipment: 4 swap bodies
Concerning North & South flows, thanks to the great diversity of products carried,
there are no unbalanced flows, even if fresh fruits & vegetables flows are seasonal
with a decrease in spring and autumn.
Timetables from Paris or Avignon are actually well adapted to shippers and
forwarders needs. Besides, reliability of the service is good (i.e. 95%)
78
Mepavex Logistics
79
Mepavex Logistics/ TECA Hoogerheide

Food, agrobulk
ACTORS INVOLVED
Forwarder : TECA
Hoogerheide
Shipper : a company in the
food industry
Operator : Mepavex
Logistics BV
NATURE OF THE
PROJECT
ROUTE
Type of CT: IWWl/road

Sector of activity:
logistics
Type of goods: food
Starting dates:
2008 Mepavex
ROUTE
Rotterdam - Markiezaat terminal
Markiezaat terminal Bergen op Zoom
70 km
1 km

Mepavex Logistics (Meeus Packaging,
LOGISTICS
Veem en AND
Expeditiebedrijf)
TECHNICAL
was founded
ORGANISATION
in 1965 as a warehousing company for Meeus
Transport. The company has evolved to a logistics provider. In Bergen op Zoom (NL), Mepavex has seven warehouses with a total
surface of some 100,000 m. After production, the goods are transported by truck to a warehouse with freezing facilities in Bergenop-Zoom where value added logistics activities are performed and where the goods are loaded into reefer containers and further
transported by truck to the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam. For these reasons a modal shift is realised from truck to barge. After
production, the goods will still be transported by truck to the warehouse in Bergen op Zoom. After stuffing the reefer containers
are further transported by truck to an inland terminal, also in Bergen op Zoom, at about 1 km from the warehouse. From this
terminal a barge service will dispatch the reefers to the export terminals in the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam.
OPERATION ELEMENTS
The project started in 2008

Frequency: 50 yearly trips

Timetable:
Operation time: Reliability on
delivery time: 90 %
Equipment: Reachstacker to lift
containers in and out the barge ;Five
chasis ;48 reefer connection points
at the terminal ;Reefer monitoring
system
which
controls
the
functioning of the containers 24/7 ;
After production, the goods are transported by truck to a warehouse with freezing
facilities in Bergen-op-Zoom where value added logistics activities are performed and
where the goods are loaded into reefer containers and further transported by truck to
the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam. For these reasons a modal shift is realised from
truck to barge. After production, the goods will still be transported by truck to the
warehouse in Bergen op Zoom. After stuffing the reefer containers are further
transported by truck to an inland terminal, also in Bergen op Zoom, at about 1 km
from the warehouse. From this terminal a barge service will dispatch the reefers to the
export terminals in the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam.
Key elements
The aim is to transport all reefer containers between Bergen op Zoom and the ports of
Antwerp and Rotterdam by barge.
80
ECONOMIC ASPECTS
KEY DATA
Support has been requested for the development of the

terminal and terminal equipment.
KEY DATA

avoided: 1,299

Elimination of congestion
Reduction of emissions
Sustainable investments to cope with further growth
LESSONS LEARNT
In the next five years, the new terminal will be a public terminal, i.e. other parties can use the terminal as well against the
applicable market rates. Already, other parties are showing interest in the terminal. The location of the terminal near to two
mainports, the promotion of multimodal transport, together with the increasing road congestion and the growing awareness of
environmental issues will certainly attract more volumes. The more volumes that are attracted, the more (cost-)efficient the
terminal can operate and the more connections to the ports can be offered.
81
Metrans
82
Metrans
Involved Actors
Forwarder: various ocean

shipping companies, logistics
services providers
Shipper: all kinds
Operator: Metrans

rail-road
Sector of activity:
intermodal operators
Type of goods:
all containerized goods
Starting date:
02/1992
Route
Route
Prague - Hamburg
681 km
Prague - Bremerhaven
759 km
Lipa/Zlin - Hamburg
929 km
D.Streda - Hamburg
1051 km

Operator and routes
Metrans is the biggest intermodal operator in the Czech Republic and one of the biggest in the Europe. It operates its
own network of inland terminals in area of central Europe connected with its own shuttle trains. Metrans provides
services for most important ocean shipping companies and other customers shipping their goods in maritime containers.
The main axe is from Hamburg and Bremerhaven ports to terminals in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
Metrans was established in 1991 by a Czech capital. An original idea to provide terminal services for other intermodal
train operators has been changed in favour of full service for transport of containers to/from maritime ports to the
Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Metrans has become leader of the market for maritime containers transport
from German seaports to the hinterland of above mentioned countries. There, Metrans tranships and stores containers in
its own terminals Praha, Zlin, Dunajska Streda (SK) and from 2007 in other regional terminals (Plzen, Otrokovice,
Kosice (SK)). In addition, Metrans acts as a train operator for intermodal trains to/from German seaports (Hamburg,
Bremerhaven) and owns extensive rolling stock of nearly 800 specialised wagons. Main Metrans shareholders are
currently DB and HHLA. Thanks to successful business policy and external conditions (globalisation, road capacity,
toll collection) Metrans reaching stable growth of traffic. In 2007 it was more than 50% in some terminals. Handling
volume in main terminal in Prague getting near 500 000 TEU/year. Transhipment of containers in Zlin and Dunajska
Streda terminals is increasing even faster. Main customers are ocean shipping companies and great logistics providers.
Main railway links connect ports of Hamburg and Bremerhaven with Prague, Zlin and Dunajska Streda and port of
Koper with Budapest and Dunajska Streda.
83
Logistics and technical organization

On its main line, Hamburg/Bremerhaven Prague Metrans currently operates more than 100 shuttle trains in both
directions. From Prague another shuttles serve regional terminals in Lipa, Dunajska Streda and newly in Nyrany. In
addition these regional terminals are served by direct trains from ports of Hamburg and Bremerhaven on daily base.
From summer 2008 it is also planned to have direct connection Hamburg Nyrany.
The Czech territory is served from Prague, Lipa (Moravia) and Nyrany (Western Bohemia). North-eastern part of
Slovakia is served by road from Lipa terminal. The rest is served from terminal in Dunajska Streda. Hungarian territory
is served by road from Dunajska Streda and newly also from BILK Budapest (direct trains from Koper).
Apart from shuttle trains, rail transport is still used for serving customers with their own sidings on a single wagons
basis. It is possible thanks to dense rail network in the Czech Republic whereas most of bigger industrial plants have
still its own rail sidings. Rail transport is also used for moving of empty containers from Metrans terminals to shippers
in Germany and Austria.
Key elements
Main feature for Metranss is effectiveness. It is focused on main transport flows, where maximal utilisation of its assets
(terminals, trains) is possible.
From begging, only mobile transhipment technology (reach stackers) was utilised in terminals. Nowadays, in HUB
terminal in Prague are 6 RMGs deployed. In Dunajska Streda another 2 RMGs are used. All terminals have large
containers depots for empty containers of main customers.
Regarding rolling stock, Metrans owns its own specialised wagons of Sggrss type (2x40ft). These wagons are optimised
for transport of 20ft or 40ft ISO containers in block trains. They are equipped with corner elements for quicker loading
operations and special anti-thief bars. The shuttle trains usually consist from 23 of these wagons and reaches length of
607 m (max. possible length on some lines). All trains are operated by state owned railways (Railion Deutschland, CD
Cargo, ZSCS, MAV Cargo).
Operation elements
Distance:
Prague - Hamburg 681 km, Prague - Bremerhaven 759 km, Lipa/Zlin Hamburg 929 km, Dunajska Streda Hamburg
1051 km, Nyrany Hamburg 745 km
Operation time:
Prague - Hamburg 12 h, Prague - Bremerhaven 14 h, Lipa/Zlin Hamburg 20 h, Dunajska Streda Hamburg 24 h
Equipment: 20ft, 40ft ISO containers
Economic aspects
Investment cost:
Terminals in begging there was a state subsidy for terminal handling machines and trucks. Nowadays, all investments
in terminals and wagons are paid from Metrans own resources. ILU are fully owned by shipping companies or container
lessors.
Financial support:
1998 2000 investment subsidy from state programme up to 30% of purchase costs.
In total: 5 x road tractors Volvo, 11 x reach stackers (Kalmar, CVS, PPM), 1 x RMG (Demag), 15 x container chassis
(Noteboom), Computing systems (hardware, software), Solid terminal surface, Operating building in terminal
n.a.
Lessons learnt
Main benefits for customers are: (i) high frequency of fast direct trains to/from ports, (ii) low price in comparison with
road transport, (iii) non-stop terminal operation, (iv) depots of empty containers in every terminal, (v) own offices in
ports of Hamburg and Bremerhaven .
Critical issues are: (i) reliability of railway transport, (ii) capacity of terminals and main rail routes, (iii) capacity of
main ports.
Contacts: www.metrans.cz
84
OKD
85
OKD
Involved Actors
Forwarder:
OKD, Doprava
Bohemiakombi
Kombiverkehr
Shipper: OKD
Operator: OKD, Doprava,
RBH, Bayerische CargoBahn,
Railion Deutschland
Route

rail-road
Sector of activity:
mining industry, foundry
industry, forwarding,
transport
Type of goods:
foundry coke
Starting date:
2007
Route
Ostrava - Gladbeck
1085 km

Operator and routes
A subject of the example is transport of a foundry coke from OKD in Northern Moravia to various customers
in Germany. The transport is performed in ACTS containers and 30ft swap bodies. The coke is loaded into
containers in Ostrava. From Ostrava is weekly dispatch block train with the containers of OKD, Doprava
(OKDD) to Prague. There is the train split in two parts first to Bavaria with ACTS containers. Second part
consists from ACTS containers for customers in Ruhrgebiet and swap bodies for Duisburg. On the way of
the second part of the train to Germany the swap bodies are transhipped onto Kombiverkehr block train to
Duisburg in Lovosice terminal. In border-crossing stations (Furth im Wald and Bad Schandau) OKDD trains
are overtaking by BCB and RHB respectively. In an opposite direction the empty containers are returned in
the same way.
OKD is a mining company in Northern Moravia. It is a traditional producer of a coke for melting works.
Regularly, the coke is exported to final costumers in Germany. Traditionally, the coke has been transported
by conventional open wagons Eas type. But currently more and more coke is transported by trucks. These
are more reliable, flexible and in most of cases cheaper than traditional wagon-load transportation. In the
same time, OKD, Doprava a logistics branch of OKD operated numerous fleet of ACTS equipment
special containers, wagons and road vehicles. OKD, Doprava is able to provide also traction on railway
network. In 2007 first regular block train with coke from Ostrava to Germany. Since the date, the
transportation of the coke was extended to other relations. The main features of the transport chain are using
of ACTS containers, alternative railway undertaking (OKDD, RHB, BCB) and as a supplement using of
intermodal block train of Kombiverkehr from Lovosice to Duisburg.
86

The operation is organised by OKDD. OKDD acts as an owner of special wagons, containers, as a train
carrier and as a forwarder. Some of wagons, ACTS containers and swap bodies are hired from foreign
owners. ACTS equipments are hired from ACTS AG Switzerland and ACTS Luxembourg S.A. Bulk swap
bodies are owned by Lblein. d cartage of containers in Germany is provided by local haulers. Swap bodies
to Duisburg are transhipped in terminal in Lovosice owned by CSKD-Intrans and operated by TRANSSPED-CONSULT. In Duisburg the swap bodies are transhipped from train in DUSS terminal. The block
train Lovosice Duisburg and v.v. is operated by German operator Kombiverkehr and hauled by CD Cargo
and Railion Deutschland. Bohemiakombi is an agent of the train in the Czech Republic.
Key elements
The main issue was to achieve sufficient amount of cargo for block train.
Operation elements
Frequency: 1 per week
Timetable: n.a.
Distance: n.a.
Equipment: Slps type wagons, ACTS open containers, Sgss type wagons, 30ft open-top swap bodies
Reliability on time delivery: n.a.
Number of equivalent heavy vehicles avoided:
2600

The cost advantage brings about a modal shift that generates a remarkable reduction of emissions. With the
all-road solution, the transportations will cause the emission of 4061 tons of CO2 per year, whereas the
intermodal solutions causes emissions for 1968 tons. Such reduction corresponds to taking some 2600 trucks
off of the road in one year.
LESSONS LEARNT
Main advantage is lower price in comparison with conventional wagon load transport or direct road
transport. Another advantage is cutting-down of handling with goods and therefore damage to goods.
Intermodal solution allows minimise overall transport price with flexibility of road transport.
Contacts
@ Websites
OKD, Doprava : www.okd-doprava.cz
Bohemiakombi: www.bohemiakombi.cz
Kombiverkehr: www.kombiverkehr.de
87
Soufflet
88
Soufflet-SNTC
ACTORS INVOLVED
NATURE OF THE
PROJECT
ROUTE
Forwarder: Soufflet
Operators: SNTC/ SCAT
Inland waterways
shipper: SCAT
Road carrier: CARline
Type of CT: Inland

waterways/road (extension
of a maritime line)
Sector of activity: Agriindustry
Type of goods: Malt
Starting dates: July 2003
ROUTE
Polisot-Le Havre
Polisot-Nogent sur Seine

(Road)
98 kms
Nogent sur Seine-Le Havre

(inland waterways)
Exports towards Asia

(sea)
512 kms

The Soufflet group specialised in cereals products, created a new logistics organisation based on the inland waterways
between Nogent sur Seine (100 km east from Paris) and the maritime port of Le Havre for exports. The operation has
involved a shipper (Soufflet), a freight forwader (SNTC), an inland waterways carrier (SCAT) and a road carrier (STTI)
that enabled the creation of a new operational line called CARline around a new container platform.

In July 2003, SNCT (Socit Nogentaise de transport combin), SCAT (Socit Cooprative des Artisans de Transport)
and the STTI (Socit Troyenne de Transport internationale), put in service a new CT line called CARline (Champagne
Atlantique River Line) linking Nogent sur Seine to port of Le Havre. Besides, Soufflet, due to SNCF poor supply of
services and to road congestion in Le Havre region, created a containers platform in Nogent sur Seine.
Frequency: twice a week

Speed: 13km/h
Operation time:
Inland waterways transport: 4 days
Containers collecting: 1 day
Containers loading: 1 day
Road transport: 5 hours
Equipment: Reach-stackers, barges 4
swap bodies
The multimodal operation enables Soufflet increase its loading

capacity and avoid other modes of transport constraints: road
congestion and inefficient railways transport supply. Actually,
CT is longer but safer than road transport and it enables a good
management of stocks and transit time.
Concerning the exports (likewise the imports), a single day is
devoted to containers collecting and loading (at the inland
waterways platform or directly at the clients). Forwarding
towards the port of Nogent/Seine is chiefly operated by STTI;
containers are then loaded on SCAT barges.
Key elements
Presently flows are homogenous and do not suffer from
seasonal variations. Cereal products transport do not have
specific needs but has to deal with maritime ships closing
dates.
89
ECONOMIC ASPECTS
The putting into service of this transport chain, has benefited
from public aids:
To buy a reach stacker (partly financed by ADEME
and VNF)
For handling operations (10,04 / break bulk)
According to Soufflet, CT costs are little lower than road
transport costs. However, handling operations in the port of Le
Havre mean other costs: 30/ container + 15 /container
carried to the new port terminal.
Estimated CT cost: 620 (BAF not included)

Investments:
Barges: 1,9 million
Quay removal: 200,000
Road Axles: 150,000
New quay :between 3 to 5 million
Reach stacker: 430,000
Inland transport cost: 200/ TEU
KEY DATA

avoided: 512

between Palisot and the port of Le Havre from January 2006 to December 2006.

There used to be a railway service between Polisot and Le Havre, but as it was not efficient, actors had thus to find another
alternative.
As the surroundings of Le Havre suffer from road congestion, inland waterways transport appears to be more reliable in the field
of transit time.
LESSONS LEARNT
This service can be considered as a success story thanks to the great cooperation between the forwarder and the shipper which led
to the creation of a new shared capital company and new service operating on inland waterways.
The service benefits from:
High load rate, mass transportation
High frequency of turn rounds
Transit time reliability
A single interlocutor for a global service
Besides the service does not seem such oil- prices- fluctuation-sensitive.
However, the inland waterway infrastructure in Nogent could be more efficient. Indeed, barges size is limited. That is the reason
why, Soufflet in cooperation with CCI and VNF, are planning to invest in a new terminal (6 ha). This new terminal would be a trimodal platform able to store and load 40 containers and benefiting from a railway connection. An investment in bigger barges is
also planned.
Besides the shippers deplore the fact that handling, in the port of le Havre, is made by dockers which it is not supposed to be as the
service is not maritime.

Contacts
Fabrice DUBOIS, Director of Logistics Soufflet ; SNTC manager
Tel : 03.25.39.41.11
Email : fdubois@soufflet-group.com
Philippe MAUGE, Directeur du Dveloppement de la SCAT,
Tl : 01.39.22.25.24
90
@Websites
Soufflet: http://www.soufflet-group.com
Tangs Freres
91

TANG FRERES
ACTORS INVOLVED
FORWARDER :
Tang Frres
NATURE OF THE
PROJECT
ROUTE
Type of combined
transport:
Inland waterway / road
(extension of a maritime
line)
OPERATOR : LOGISEINE
Sector of activity:
Type of goods:
Non-perishable food
LE HAVRE-GENNEVILLIERS
Imports from Far East
Le Havre-Gennevilliers
Fleuve
340 km
Gennevilliers-Vitry Sur
seine/Alfortville
35 km

LOGISEINE is an EIG composed of:
The Compagnie Fluviale de Transport (CFT) : inland waterways operator.
Terminaux de Normandie : Le Havre terminal operator.
Paris Terminal: the management agency of Gennevilliers platform.
Since 1994, LOGISEINE provides inland waterway/ road combined transport on the Seine River.

Since 1999, Tang Frres has been using inland waterways transport towards the ports of Gennevilliers or Bonneuil depending on
the final destination. (Vitry sur Seine or Alfortville).
Because of lower costs, the forwarder also uses railway transport but only for imports of flour and rice. Indeed, Tang Frres,
considering the operational weaknesses of SNCF, sought new mode of transport more reliable and safer.
Considering its previous relation with LOGISEINE, Tang Frres decided to let the latter handle 600 TEUs yearly.

Description of the logistics actions / transport chain
OPERATION ELEMENTS
Frequency: 4 times a week
Timetable: Le Havre (7am-7pm)
Gennevilliers (from 6am)
Distance: 390 km
Operation time: 36 h
Equipment: barge-pusher,
20container, gantry cranes
Reliabity of transit time: 100%
Unitised import flows are handled by CMA/CGM from Far East to port of Le Havre.
Containers are handled by gantry cranes towards barges owned by CFT. Then,
LOGISEINE provides combined door-to-door transport services. It handles those
containers 4 times a week which enables LOGISEINE face emergencies (e.g. increase in
demand). When the containers arrive in Gennevilliers, they are transhipped on lorries (44
T with 3 axles or 40 T with 2 axles) in order to be carried to Tang Frres distribution
centres located in Vitry-sur-Seine. Tang Frres, after centralizing goods, dispatches them,
using its own fleet, to all Ile-de-France. Concerning international deliveries (mainly
towards Spain an d Belgium), Tang Frres subcontracts transport.
Key Elements
As Tang Frres flows are seasonal, orders are established in advance and thus transport
operations are pretty simplified. Besides, only non perishable goods are carried on inland
waterway thus long transit time does not matter.
92
ECONOMIC ASPECTS
25
50
75
100
The forwarder negotiates with the

maritime shipping company the price of
door-to-door transport. Transport cost
from Le Havre to Vitry: 400 per
container.
Inland waterways transport is 5%
cheaper than road transport. This service
benefits from handling monetary grants
from the Ministry of Transports
KEY DATA
100
200
300

avoided: 500
Fuel consumption avoided:30,725 l
400

between Vitry and Le Havre from January 2006 to December 2006.

Within the framework of road congestion, inland waterways transport is a reliable and environmentally friendly solution.
Considering the nature of the goods handled and the poor quality of railways services, the chief alternative to road transport is
inland waterways transport even if road route is shorter (200 km in 4 hours compared to 335 km in 36h using inland waterways
transport). Besides, road transport negative externalities are still high: road congestion (Seine Valley, around Le Havre), noise and
CO2 pollutions.
LESSONS LEARNT
To the forwarder, this operation is actually a success thanks to the high quality and reliability of service.
According to the operator, this success story is due to the creation of the EIG which enabled the internalisation of income items.
On one hand, LOGISEINE found it hard to change the forwarders working habits in the field of transport demand expectation.
Indeed, inland waterways transport needs scheduling and anticipation. On the other hand, Tang Frres did not encounter any
difficulty.
Both actors foresee an increase in forwarders demand of inland waterways transport. In order to satisfy its potential needs, various
goals have to be reached. Actors have to:
Carry on improving reliability and efficiency of inland waterways transport.
Improve the existing infrastructures and to remove bottlenecks (canal locks)
Reduce handling costs in order to make the inland waterways transport more competitive in relation to road transport.
Contacts

Mr PRASIT, TANG FRERES, Logistics director,
Tel : 01.49.60.56.24 Email : prasit@tang.fr
Yves BODILIS, LOGISEINE,

Tel : 02.35.53.50.76 Email : yves.bodilis@logiseine.com
93
@ Websites
http://www.cft.fr
http://www.logiseine.com
Transfesa
94
Transfesa-Renault
ACTORS INVOLVED
NATURE OF THE
PROJECT
ROUTE
Forwarder : Renault
Sector of activity: Car
industry.
Type of goods: engines
Operator & Shipper :
Starting dates: 1998
Transfesa
ROUTE
Plant of Flins La Chapelle

52 kms
La Chapelle - Valladolid
1196 kms
Valladolid - Usine Renault

1 km

Transfesa is presently the leading private freight railway operator in Spain and began using the swap body in the
early 1980's.It owns wagons with interchangeable axles, which allow them to circulate on the different gauges. It
provides Renault door-to-door services between many of its European plants. Transfesa is both operator and shipper
and organises inland transport with its national partners.
Renault plant of Flins (45 km from Paris) is pretty well located and benefits from good connections via 3 modes of
transport (road Railway and inland waterway transports). It is connected, via just-in-time flows, to other plants of the
Renault Group in Valladolid (180 km from Madrid): Renault Motores (engine production), Renault Montaje
(vehicles production) and Renault Carrocerias (drawing).

In 1998, the first regular train linked two plants using the Paris-Ljubljana axis. Besides, Renault implanted a quay
and a gantry crane in its plant in Valladolid, this platform was modernized in 2001. In January 2000, a regular train
was put into circulation between Paris and Valladolid. Presently, CT represents 30% of the flows between Flins and
Spanish plants.
OPERATION ELEMENTS

Timetable:
Paris: 8:30 pm
Valladolid: 7:20 pm
Traffic: 18,000 ITU per year
Operation time: 23 h
Equipment: Megacombi
swap bodies
Reliability on time delivery:
85 %
Renault loads 20 swap bodies per day (200 days per annum) to Spain on the
Paris-Madrid Transfesa train (loading capacity: 40 swap bodies). On the
northbound going train, half of the swap bodies are filled with empty
packaging and motors made in Valladolid, the remaining swap bodies are filled
with other goods. Transfesa uses Megacombi swap bodies which are wellplanned for parts of motor vehicles transportation (13m40x2m95x2m45).
The Paris-Madrid train leaves La Chapelle terminal at 8:30 pm. Transfesa uses
an axle-changing system at the border which lasts 5 hours (actually faster than
transhipment). Total transit time accounts for 23 hours.Inland transport from
Valladolid to the plants are also operated by Transfesa.
Key elements
Transit time reliability is fundamental since Renault plants use just-in-time
system of production. On the Flins-Valladolid axis the reliability of transit time
is 85% (< 30 min). Only 3% of the lorries have 2-hours delay.
95
ECONOMIC ASPECTS
CT estimated cost is between 10 % and 15% lower

than road transport cost.
Transfesa has invested 30 million to buy
Megacombi swab bodies and low floor wagons.
Renault has invested in the building of the platform
located within its Valladolid plant.
KEY DATA
Emissions avoided in tons of CO2: 22 315
avoided: 11,000
Fuel consumption avoided: 8,380,000 l
* Data calculated from ADEMEs carbon balance methodology for transport

between Flins and Valladolid (inland transport included) in 2006.

CT between Valladolid and Paris is cheaper than road-only transport. Besides, it avoids many road constraints such as congestion,
prohibition on Sunday transit.
CT services could be a good way of resolving problems related to stocks. Indeed, railway transport could be envisaged as rolling
stock.
LESSONS LEARNT
Renault has drastically reduced handling costs building a platform within its plant in Valladolid.
However, presently, there is only one departure scheduled from Paris and reliability on transit time has to be high in order to meet
the just-in-time production standards.
In order to face those constraints, Renault has increased its stocks and has adapted its organisation to supply and productions
logics.
Contacts

Jean-Louis Legout, Transfesa, DDG
Tel : 01.41.11.57.40 Email : jllegout@transfesa.com
Thomas Vernier, Renault Head of plant parts and accesories supply
Department
Tel : 01.76.82.82.64 Email : thomas.vernier@renault.com
96
@ Websites
Transfesa : www.transfesa.com
Renault : www.renault.fr
Transitalia
97
ACTORS INVOLVED
NATURE OF THE
PROJECT
ROUTE
Forwarder : Transitalia
Shipper : various
Operator : Grimaldi Lines
Type of CT: SSS/road

Sector of activity:
Distribution industry: pulp,
rubber, glass, household
appliances
Type of goods: trailers
Starting dates:
1985 (to Barcelona)
2000 (to Valencia)
ROUTE
Area Campania - Salerno
Salerno - Valencia
Valencia - Madrid
593 km
400 km
100 km

Transitalia is specialised in multimodal transport and provides services to shippers. Since 1985, Transitalia has provided
intermodal services on the Italian Spanish route, using Grimaldi Lines for the maritime haulage. The Grimaldi maritime service
LOGISTICS
AND
TECHNICAL
ORGANISATION
used was from Salerno to Barcelona,
but in 2000
it was
modified in Salerno
Valencia, in order to activate a broader catchment
area in Spain. In the last period Transitalia has a framework contract with Grimaldi that reserves about the 70% of vessels
capacity on that route.

Transitalia is actually the biggest client of Grimaldi shipping company, with more than 20,000 trailers handled per year. In 1985
the service started with connection between the port of Salerno and the port of Barcelona, and in 2000 this route was modified
towards Valencia in order to be captive also on the Madrid and the central Spanish area. At first the main carried products were
pulp and glass, but after a few year the service attracted also other commodities, like rubber and household appliances.
OPERATION ELEMENTS

Transitalia provides inland transport collecting different types of goods in Campania
region. The trailers are collected and then loaded on trucks towards the port of
Salerno.
After the departure of the vessel goods arrive the next day in Valencia port. Then,
they are carried to Madrid and are delivered to all the central Spanish area by trucks.
Timetable: From Salerno
departures on Tue, Thu and Sun
Distance: 1,742 km (2,150km by
road)
Operation time: Reliability on delivery time:100 %
Key elements
Concerning Italy Spain flows, thanks to the great diversity of products carried and the
expertise of Transitalia in gaining load returns, there are no unbalanced flows.
Timetables from Salerno are actually well adapted to shippers and forwarders needs,
with a tri-weekly connection. Besides, reliability of the service is good (i.e. 100%)
Equipment: 230 swap bodies, 170

truks, 500 trailers.
98
ECONOMIC ASPECTS
KEY DATA
Transitalia estimated cost is about 10 % lower than road
transport cost
The total intermodal price per ILU is about 1,850 , divided in
25% for the main haulage, 35% for the pre-haulage and 45%
for the post haulage.
Transitalia does not benefit from a State aid to facilitate the
operation
KEY DATA

22,848
avoided: 19,933

The intermodal solution presents several advantages in comparison to the all road haulage. The shipping leg permits to reduce the
overall distance of the trip and this has positive effects also in terms of time spent. Also motorways are often congested in that
route affecting travel times and reliability of the all road solution.
LESSONS LEARNT
According to the forwarder:
The success factors behind the concerned operation are the arc effect (reduction of the overall distance by using the intermodal
solution, due to the geographical conformation of the West Med area). Also road congestion, feasibility of the service and low
prices concur in advantaging the intermodal solution.
Another problem rose by Transitalia is the weak competition among shipping lines on Italy Spain routes: nowadays only Grimaldi
offers this type of connection and Transitalia argues that the entrance of a new company would probably benefit the competiveness
of the intermodal solution.
Contacts

Ugo Zingaropoli, Transitalia, Manager
Email : ugo.zingaropoli@transitaliasrl.it
@ Websites
Transitalia : www.transitaliasrl.it
Grimaldi : www.grimaldi,napoli.it
99
Volvic
100
ACTORS INVOLVED
NATURE OF THE
PROJECT
ROUTE
Forwarder: Volvic
Type of CT: Inland
waterways/road (extension
of a maritime line)
Operator : RSC
Sector of activity: food

industry
Logistician: Plane logistique
Type of goods: mineral
water
Road carrier: Transports
Klinzing
Starting dates: 2005
ROUTE
CEBAZAT-LYON TERMINAL-FOS SUR MER
CEBAZAT-LYON
TERMINAL
(road 190 km)
LYON TERMINAL-FOS
SUR MER (320 km)
Exports to Japon

Volvic is one of the most important forwarder using the Rhone river route. Plane is in charge of the organisation of door-to-door
transport for Volvic, in collaboration with Transports Klinzing. The latter, operating on the Rhine waterways since 1959, are
specialised in multi-modal transport but is also a great Rhone waterways logistician. Plane is actually free to decide which mod of
transport it will use, considering the transport cost as a key factor.
Origin
of theELEMENTS
project
OPERATION
Volvic flows used to be carried by railways from Plane Logistique platform by CNC (Compagnie Nouvelle de Conteneurs). In 2005,
CNC stopped providing this service so Plane had to seek other alternatives to railway transport thus it started a new collaboration
with transports Klinzing. Since then, 95% of the Volvic flows towards Asia are carried by inland waterways.

Frequency: 4 times a week

Speed: 10km/h
Operation time:
Inland waterways transport: 32 h
Inland transport: 2h30
Only road transport: 14 hours
Reliability on delivery time: 97%
Equipment: push-barges (78 TEUs)
Plane uses its own fleet and provides shuttle services to carry bottles of water
by road from Volvic plant to its platform in Cbazat.
Pallets are loaded in 40 containers after a quality control (Danone standards).
Transports Klinzing carries empty containers from Lyon in the morning and
then carries the full containers to Lyon terminal
Containers are then loaded on removable ballast barge fitted out with pushers
and carried towards the port of Fos sur mer.
Key elements
The combined alternative is safe, reliable. Besides the quality of service is
high.
Barge transport is ideal for carrying sea-borne cargo. Besides, at Lyon
terminal, the forwarder benefits from a duty-free provision for the storage of
containers. It lasts 3 days for empty containers and 7 days for full containers.
101
ECONOMIC ASPECTS

CT estimated cost is between 10 % lower than road

transport cost.
RSC has benefited from aids for feasibility (ADEME
& the PACA Regional Council) and aids for operation
and investment (VNF, Port Autonome de Marseille)
Neither the logistician nor the road carrier (even if it
has invested in 60 trailers: 3 trailers per lorry ,
1,320,000 ) benefited from aids.
KEY DATA
avoided: 2,350
* Data calculated from ADEMEs carbon balance methodology for transport
between Cebazat and port of Fos from January 2006 to December 2006.

CT alternative enables avoiding the over-crowded Lyon region and thus avoiding delay issue concerning container haulage
towards the platforms.
CT is more competitive than the only road transport for several reasons:
The filling coefficient is higher for a round trip than the only road round trip.
Reliability and punctuality of CT
The relative long distance without any break-bulk
High frequency of the service
Close proximity with platforms
LESSONS LEARNT
Success factors
- Good cooperation between RSC and transports Klinzing
-
Lower cost compared to road transport cost

Quality and reliability of the service
System security
Lagging factors
The main impediment was the mis-knowledge of the system and means. Besides, the operators had to deal with the working habits
of the forwarders: any transportation must be scheduled at least 8 days in advance.
There exists also congestion on inland waterways at the locks all the more so as passenger ships always have the priority. At last,
ports infrastructures do not enable fast handling operations.
Further developments
Concerning the operation 3 factors may enable improving and optimising the transport:
- Improve in the waterways infrastructures in order to reduce congestion
- It seems indispensable for the road carrier being able to load empty containers the night before at Lyon terminal so
that, the logistician can load them earlier in the morning
- Considering the forwarder: increase in frequency which means increase in the number of barges.
Contacts
Philippe ROUMEAU, PLANE LOGISTIQUE, CEO
Tel : 04.73.16.30.58 Email : p-roumeau@plane-transports.com
Mourad BOUHAMDANI, Transports Klinzing, Director
Tel : 04.75.78.48.94 Email : valence.klinzing@wanadoo.fr
102
@ Websites
http://www.groupe-plane.com
Whirpool Europe
103
pp
ACTORS INVOLVED
NATURE OF THE
PROJECT
Forwarder : LKW,
Hangartner
ROUTE 1
ROUTE 2
Type of CT: rail-road

and rail-ferry-road
Sector of activity:
Industry
Type of goods:
Household appliances
Starting dates:
~ 1993
Shipper : Whirlpool
Operator (MTO):
Hangartner, Hupac,
ROUTE 1
Ternate (IT) Busto Arsizio (IT)

30 km
Busto Arsizio (IT) Malmo (SE)

1500 km
Malmo (SE) Joenkoeping (SE)

290 km
ROUTE 2
Ternate (IT) Domodossola (IT)

84 km
Domodossola (IT) Rostock (DE)

1250 km
Rostock (DE)
Trelleborg (SE)
Trelleborg (SE) Joenkoeping (SE)

320 km
150 km

Whirlpool Europe is one of the main producers of household appliances in the world. It has 10 production sites in
Europe, the biggest of which is in Ternate-Cassinetta (Varese, Italy). Whirlpool Europe has about 25 Regional
Distribution Centres which are the nodes of the primary distribution of their products. Intermodal lines from Italy exist
towards UK and Scandinavia. The main intermodal line is the one that connects the RDC of Ternate (Italy) to the Ikea
warehouses in Joenkoeping (Denmark), a line that was activated in order to implement the exclusive cooperation with
Ikea.
The project started around 1993.
Route 1
OPERATION ELEMENTS
Frequency: twice per day

Timetable: n.a.
Distance: 1820 km (320 km by
road)
Reliability on delivery time:
does not matter
Equipment: Swap bodies and
Containers (among which 50%
reefer containers)

Service supplied by LKW: (similar services are supplied by Hangartner and
Norfolk) - Products for Ikea are carried in swap bodies by road from the
Ternate-Cassinetta site to the intermodal terminal in Busto Arsizio (Italy)
and from there to the Swedish terminal of Malmoe. The final road haul is
from Malmoe to Joenkoeping. The intermodal solution accounts for 100%.
Key elements
Cost is the key success factor behind the operation, added to the fact that
the supply chain of such products does not imply a relevant importance of
lead time / urgency.
104
Route 2
Frequency: once per day

Timetable: A-D (72 hours doorto-door)
Distance: 1800 km (400 road)
Operation time:
Closing time at Domo II: 2h
before departure
Domo-Rostock: A-B (26 h)
Equipment: Swap bodies

Service supplied by Hangartner as forwarder and intermodal operator:
Products are carried in swap bodies by road from Ternate to Hangartner
intermodal terminal "Domo II" in Domodossola (Italy).
The train is organised by Hangartner from Domo II to Rostock, the traction
is provided by BLS (CH) and Kombiverkehr/DB Schenker (DE).
Swap bodies are carried, unaccompanied on the ferry to Trelleborg. The
final road haul is from Trelleborg to Joenkoeping.
Key elements
Cost is the main success factor behind the operation. Hangartner reports
the capacity on trains and the flexibility to react to demand peaks as further
key factors for keeping the trust of Whirlpool as a customer.
ECONOMIC ASPECTS
Cost estimation (road transport base 100)
Cost savings compared to the all-road solution
are relevant; they certainly represent the major
driver of this operation.
Total
(%)
Total costs
costs (%)
For route 2, Hangartner reports a potential cost

Saving vs. all-road solution of about 28%
CO2 emissions (tCO2eq/year)
KEY DATA
3308
Fuel consumption avoided: 1,2 m l

Fostered by the fact that short lead times are not a major necessity in this kind of supply chain, and that the sensitivity
to delays is also very low because of the high stock levels adopted, the intermodal solution brings the best advantages
in terms of costs. The incidence of damages to the good, which is high (20%) as concerns slight damages to the
goods, but low (5%) as regards relevant damages, does not seem to depend upon the transport mode used.
The use of swap bodies, also, provides a flexibility factor in loading operations that is not possible to achieve with other
loading units and the road mode.
105
LESSONS LEARNT
Intermodal transport is used as long as it is economically convenient compared to the all-road solution. This happens
because the economic factor is predominant in this supply chain compared to other factors, such as lead-time or
delays. The environmental aspects are also a driver of the companys decisions and initiatives are implemented in this
sense at all levels of the companys operations, though they do not directly affect the transport choice.
Linked to the flexibility advantage given by the use of swap bodies, an agreement with intermodal operators is
potentially feasible, which would overcome problems of availability due to overbooking, by leaving a certain amount of
swap bodies at the disposal of the shipper. For the next 5-10 years an increase in the flow of goods carried by
intermodal transport is foreseen: road transports will be shifted to both rail and intermodal. The United Kingdom,
though at present impossible to serve via intermodal transport, is one of the most promising markets.
For the future, the present success of intermodal solutions in Whirlpool is triggering the concept of European Corridors
that would link their production sites (10 in Europe) to their Regional Distribution Centres (around 25 in Europe).
Contacts
@ Websites
Whirlpool Europe: Sergio Belotti - Executive Manager
Whirlpool Europe: www.whirlpool.com
Hangartner:Curzio Boaretto Sales Manager

curzio.boaretto@hangartner.com
Hangartner: www.hangartner.it
106

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Intermodal Freight Transport

& Logistics Best Practices

BEST PRACTICE IN THE FIELD OF INTERMODAL TRANSPORT

Nature of the project

Forwarder: various forwarders,

Type of combined transport:

CONTEXT OF THE INTERMODAL TRANSPORT

Logistics and technical organization

Comparison with road scenario and lessons learnt

BEST PRACTICE IN THE FIELD OF INTERMODAL TRANSPORT

Nature of the project

EUROKOMBI, DUSS; Private

Combined transport rail-road,

CONTEXT OF THE INTERMODAL TRANSPORT

EUR 450,- per 40 Container

Port shuntings are included in

COMPARISON WITH A ROAD SCENARIO

+49 40 7405 2266

+49 40 7405 2734

BEST PRACTICE IN THE FIELD OF INTERMODAL TRANSPORT

Nature of the project

Eurogate Intermodal GmbH,

Combined transport rail-road

CONTEXT OF THE INTERMODAL TRANSPORT

Origin of the project

LOGISTICS AND TECHNICAL ORGANIZATION

EUR 850,- until EUR 900,- for 1

Total costs (%)

Subsidies are not granted for the operation of BoxXpress.hu.

COMPARISON WITH A ROAD SCENARIO

Company: EUROGATE Intermodal GmbH

+49 40 7405 2266

+49 40 7405 2734

Gyor Gonyu Kikto

BEST PRACTICE IN THE FIELD OF INTERMODAL TRANSPORT

GYR - GNY KIKT ZRT.

Context of the intermodal transport

Logistic and technical organization

Advantages of the intermodal transport learnt

BEST PRACTISE IN THE FIELD OF INTERMODAL TRANSPORT

Kusters/ Barge operator :Mercurius Scheepvaart

Forwarder : Shipper : Mercurius

Type of CT: IWWl/road

Port of Antwerp - Lanaken

CONTEXT OF THE INTERMODAL TRANSPORT

Origin of the project

LOGISTICS AND TECHNICAL ORGANISATION

CO2 emissions (tCO2eq/year)*

Emissions avoided in tons of CO2: 1,745

* data calculated from ADEMEs carbon balance methodology for transport

ADVANTAGES OF THE INTERMODAL SOLUTION

Kusters Transport Bvba: 0032 (0)89/71 48 50

Mercurius Sheepvaart : www.mercuriusgroup.nl

BEST PRACTICE OF INTERMODAL TRANSPORT

NATURE OF THE PROJECT:

The company uses both of following specific modes:

LOGISTICS AND TECHNICAL ORGANISATION

1 electric bock-crane [40/12,5 t, 20 m)

1 container loader [Belotti 41 t]

General (palletized) cargo

ALTERNATIVE ALL-ROAD SOLUTION

ADVANTAGES OF INTERMODAL TRANSPORT

Environmentally and without tax transportation

Directions of the trains