Combined transport

Terminal Domodossola

Development of combined traffic

A short explanation of combined transport

In combined transport, at least two different carriers (lorry, rail, ship) are linked in a continuous transport chain, combining the ecological and economic benefits and the reliability of rail and boat services for long distances with the flexibility of a widespread road network. Goods are generally shipped in standardised load units such as containers, swap bodies, semi-trailers or complete lorries. With its combined transport service, BLS Cargo is contributing directly to achieving the constitutional aim of shifting freight traffic from road to rail.

Traffic trends

As a result of globalisation, the international flow of freight traffic is steadily increasing, and many goods arrive from overseas in containers at sea ports, from where they are transported by rail to their destination countries. This trend in the flow of goods, and the increasing use of containers, are leading to strong growth in combined transport, and it can be expected that this will continue in the years to come. The volume is expected to increase on the north-south axis between the North Sea ports and Italy. BLS Cargo AG is ideally positioned to meet this need. BLS Cargo is the market leader on the Lötschberg-Simplon axis and handles the majority of all combined transport. Since it entered the market on the Gotthard route in 2003, its market share on this route has also increased considerably.

Combined transport trains – the alternative to lorries

Due to the growing advantages of rail transport, combined transport trains are being used more and more often as an alternative to lorries, even for relatively short distances. Motorway tolls in Switzerland and elsewhere, and the rising oil price, are creating uncertainty in the road transport business. Rail freight transport offers a stable and attractive alternative. Even during the night, when lorries are at a standstill due to the ban on night driving, your goods will still be speeding along.

Facts

	For RAlpin alone, the operator of the “rolling highway” between Freiburg i. Br. and Novara, BLS Cargo handles up to 22 trains every day. That is a maximum of 450 lorries every day.
	BLS Cargo provides an outstanding combined transport service (containers, swap bodies, lorries), thereby taking about 400,000 to 500,000 lorries off Swiss roads through the Alps every year. That’s in addition to the relief brought about by BLS Cargo’s conventional rail freight service