Freight transport demand by mode and group of goods

Generic metadata

Classification

Identification

Rapidly growing demand

Freight transport demand has grown significantly since 1992, thereby making it increasingly difficult to limit the environmental consequences of transport. The main underlying factors that stimulate the growth in freight transport are globalisation of the economy and liberalisation of the internal market, combined with a price of freight transport that remains relatively low (see TERM 2002 20 EU - Transport prices).

Modal split in freight transport

The share of alternative modes (rail+inland waterways) in freight transport has declined during the last decade. As a result, the objective of stabilising the shares of rail, inland waterways, short sea shipping and oil pipelines, and to make for a shift of balance from 2010 onwards, outlined in the Common Transport Policy (CTP) will not be achieved unless a strong reversal of the current trend (see fig. 1) is achieved.