Until recently strategic considerations of rail operators and selected hinterland terminal operators were setting the scene for the intermodal market in Europe. This has changed profoundly in the last few years. Today, internationally thinking and acting logistics companies – shipping companies above all – are penetrating and transforming the intermodal market in a pace not seen before. Bringing in huge amount of capital, those companies are able to secure partnerships, shares, or ownership of key companies of the intermodal transport chain and thus build up complex service networks to ensure the success of their core business. This falls into a time of the biggest shipping crisis since the end of the global financial crisis which started in 2008. Throughput in European ports decreases significantly after volumes got back on growth track after the pandemic-induced reduction in 2020. This study analyses and highlights the developments in the European intermodal rail freight market comprehensively by covering key actors, ports, corridors, hinterland terminals, rolling stock and the most important country markets.

Specifically, the study contains:

• Comprehensive overview of the European rail freight market, including key trends and developments
• Analysis of ports and hinterland traffic in Europe, including:
  • Development of transshipment in ports
  • Origin and destination flows for sea and rail hinterland transport
  • Container terminal ownership
  • Planned infrastructure projects
• Analysis of the intermodal market by Rail Freight Corridors, including:
  • Infrastructure development
  • Analysis of relevant hubs, players and economic centres along the corridor
• Analysis of transport flows along the New Silk Road
• Analysis of intermodal rail freight in 6 country markets (DE, PL, FR, IT, ES + Benelux), including:
  • Rail policy and infrastructure investments
  • Development of intermodal rail freight performance
  • Outlook until 2028, assessment of market drivers
  • Assessment of the intermodal network, including routes and terminals
  • Analysis of main players in the market
• Analysis of the main hinterland terminals in Europe, including:
  • Main operators on the European level
  • Planned investments in new terminals
• Analysis of the intermodal freight wagon fleet, including:
  • Installed base
  • Recent market developments
  • Outlook until 2028, assessment of market drivers
  • Innovations in wagon technology and semi-trailer transshipment
• Overview of the most important players in the European intermodal market