At a Glance
- CO2 saving, rail vs lorry
- approx. 75–80 %
- Rail China–Europe
- approx. 18–22 days
- Sea route China–Europe
- approx. 25–35 days
Multimodal vs intermodal
Multimodal transport: one contract covers the entire transport chain – the multimodal transport operator (MTO) is responsible for every leg. Intermodal transport: the goods change mode without being unloaded – a container moving from lorry to rail to ship, for instance. Intermodal is the technically more precise term; multimodal is the broader one.
Typical combinations
Lorry plus rail (rolling motorway, RoLa): the whole lorry is loaded onto the train – the driver can rest and driving-time limits are not a problem. Lorry plus ship (short sea shipping): coastal sea routes replace road transport across land borders. Rail plus sea freight: the standard for imports from Asia (China to Europe by rail takes around 18–22 days against 25–35 days by sea).
The carbon advantages of multimodal transport
Rail emits approximately 75–80 % less CO2 per tonne-kilometre than road. Short sea shipping emits 50–60 % less than road. Companies with sustainability targets (Scope 3 emissions) benefit considerably from shifting to multimodal transport chains – without losing delivery reliability.
