Multimodal transport

The term multi-modal is understood as a multi-unit transport chain, in which the transport of persons or the transport of goods by two or more different modes of transport is completed. This form of organization is also referred to as breaking bulk, and is in contrast to direct traffic ( unbroken traffic).

A special form of multimodal transport is intermodal transport where the goods are moved in standardized transport units ( containers, swap bodies, semi-trailers ), they are so moved during loading between different modes of transport in closed units. Combined transport (short- KV ) and synonymous combined transport ( KLV) is the name for intermodal transport, when the majority of the distance traveled using rail as well as sea and inland waterway is completed and the pre-and post on the road as short as possible is maintained.

Disambiguation

The term multi-modal is often equated with the terms of intermodal and combined transport. This approach is particularly likely too short for freight transport and it has therefore been introduced by the European Conference of Transport Ministers (not generally accepted ) definition:

Multimodal freight transport

History

The term was first introduced in the USA in the 1960s, use, were introduced as a standardized containers with railways ( Piggyback Service ), lorries and ships ( Fishyback Service ) could be transported.

Causes

Often, a transport can not be settled by direct transport without changing the means of transport or handling operations. The reason for a combination results in many cases due to the natural conditions. A ship transport will normally be part of an intermodal chain, since the goods are usually produced or consumed, not in the harbor, but in the hinterland, thus making necessary a pre-and post with other modes of transportation.

The overloading of individual roads, particularly roads around the Alpine transit are to be understood as reasons for " forced" multimodal transport.

With the be incurred by the containerisation rationalization potentials transhipment and by the introduction of telematics opportunities that arise in the management of complex transport chains are becoming more frequent the various economic advantages and disadvantages of individual modes of transport in the foreground. The ship is carrying large amounts of goods under favorable energy consumption, but is severely limited in its speed and particularly attractive to very long distances. The truck is very powerful because of its flexibility, but due to low loading capacities in operation relatively expensive. The railed with low energy consumption and space-saving large amounts, however, is due to their relation to the road less dense road network only appeared efficient in direct traffic, where trains are integrated into the production processes of great works. The aircraft, as the ship is a common link in the intermodal chain, in long-distance transport in the not too voluminous charge preferred due to its speed, this advantage, however, lost in the near and mid- range due to extensive and time-consuming controls partially back and is increasingly hampered through a crowded airspace; its high energy consumption is also from a business perspective, an adverse factor.

In addition, take environmental aspects, especially from a planning perspective, today an important place. This is particularly the combined traffic to call, by which one a relief both crowded streets with high noise emissions and savings in energy consumption due to increased use of the web in the long-distance transport hoped.

Broken traffic in public transport

In public transport increasingly takes place a differentiation between modes in the (mostly road / rail) extending the already existing traditional fractional operations. Broken traffic had originally introduce the main function, passengers on powerful, well-developed transport network. These transfer hubs were particularly for the combination bus ( also tram) and underground or S -Bahn created (eg bus stations ). Broken operation was more to be found in larger cities than in the country, because regional bus lines ( first overland, later regional buses ) continues into city centers perverted and also have stations where possible a central location.

In countries with well-developed railway systems (eg Germany, Netherlands) of the rail over road passenger transport priority today. Apart from an introduction of composite rates takes place adequate - especially in Germany - a reduction of Busparallelverkehren. The bus will get a track supplements, development and feeder function, thus becomes a secondary modes with only small national tasks. In many cases between cities throughout bus services were to broke to divert passengers ( feeder service routing functionality ). The line of bus routes shorten it ( fragmentation of regional bus networks), and broken links in the bus to take.

As an opposite movement qualitatively upgraded express buses are used in not sufficiently served by rail regions that serve only important stops. Connections may also line linkages (eg, diameter lines) or the integration of the regional (bus) traffic in the city (bus) transport (including " Osnabrück Model " ) are avoided. Modern rail transport systems ( multi-system paths ) to the Karlsruhe model also have the goal to avoid fractional traffic. However, the dispersion of the passengers always calls for broken links.

Declining ridership in the country by increasing individual traffic and the expansion of purely oriented city bus networks often make also broken traffic necessary. Inside the bus networks while a differentiation by main (→ Metrobus ) and secondary lines, city, regional, district lines and specialized shapes done ( Dial-a - taxi or operations ). Between these forms a fractional operation takes place. The most environmentally friendly, but unattractive for passengers solution is the use of large city buses in the compressed urban area and then broken further transport by minibuses in rural areas.

A special form of split transport provide park-and -ride and bike -and-ride, ie the combination of individual by public transport there.