The Gotthard base tunnel is driving intermodal transport. 30 days after its official opening, one thing is certain: The Swiss remain on schedule and will send the first scheduled freight trains through the tunnel by the end of 2016. It is both a legend and a real lifeline: Since the 13th century the Gotthard axis has been one of the main links between Northern and Southern Europe. People have been transporting freight across the Alps along that route ever since. The new Gotthard base tunnel is a further important milestone in Alpine transit. After 17 years of construction, the longest rail tunnel in the world was opened on June 1, 2016. It runs from Erstfeld in the Swiss canton of Uri to Bodio in Ticino. The 57 km route will be opened for freight traffic by the end of 2016. This will make it possible for the first time to pass the Gotthard massif virtually without any notable gradient. The 3,000 planned tests are currently still underway in the tunnel. Among other things, the Swiss AlpTransit Gotthard AG (ATG) is testing the use of 1,500m long freight trains. The longest trains currently used in real conditions are 850 meters long. When the Gotthard base tunnel is officially opened for traffic in 2017, an expected 260 freight trains and 64 passenger trains will use the tunnel every day.
Better north-south connection
In particular, intermodal freight transport will stand to gain through the Gotthard base tunnel. Roughly 9,000 trains pass through the Gotthard every year. Between Germany and Italy alone, about 15 million tons of goods are transported across the Alps annually. “The north-south corridor is a very important intermodal route. And that also applies for DHL Freight,” says Thomas Kowitzki, Head of Multimodal DHL Freight. The intermodal connections of DHL Freight from Italy to Germany, Great Britain and Scandinavia currently use the old Gotthard railway line. “We see the opening of the Gotthard base tunnel as an important milestone for the optimization of intermodal transport infrastructure in Europe – which will benefit customers, operators and the environment,” explains Kowitzki. The advantages speak for themselves: longer trains and a shorter distance without any significant gradients – meaning that fewer locomotives, less time and thus less energy are required. On the old route the trains have to overcome a difference in elevation of 680 meters – which means that three locomotives are required. By contrast, the new base tunnel rises by only 90 meters, meaning that only one locomotive is required as a traction engine.
Southern ports becoming more attractive
Transalpine freight will surely benefit. The Gotthard base tunnel is also an important section of the Rotterdam-Genoa freight corridor. It will make a significant contribution towards realigning European freight streams. Until now, the northern ports of Rotterdam or Hamburg have played a dominant role for Chinese imports, for example. But that could change with the Gotthard base tunnel, especially when it comes to goods with the target regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. This is where southern ports such as La Spezia, Genoa and Savona will become more attractive. Accordingly, they are also looking to expand their proportion of railway transport. But this is still a long way off and all part of a long-term development. In order to enable rapid transport from Rotterdam to Genoa, the connections in the north – i.e. the expansion of the Rhine valley line from Karlsruhe to Basel – and the Ceneri base tunnel have to be completed. The Ceneri tunnel is under construction and scheduled to open in 2020. The 182 kilometer Rhine valley line expansion between Karlsruhe and Basel is expected to be completed by 2035.
Once again, the number of freight thefts increased significantly in 2017. A whole bundle of actions, from protection technology and intelligent route planning to decisive action by politics might alleviate [...]
The damage of cargo thefts often far exceeds the actual value of the goods – because they threaten delays in the supply chains. The approaches from country to country and [...]
Top and flop countries: Where cargos are in danger Truck broken into, cargo gone – or even the entire truck gone. That can happen anywhere in the world. But there [...]
Preventing the theft of goods with special tracking solutions The theft of goods from trucks is a real problem, which by no means only concerns certain countries that are deemed [...]
There is a shortage of rest areas for HGV across Europe. In order to make better use of the existing space, the EU is promoting “compact parking” controlled by telematics. [...]
2.25 million electric powered trucks up until 2025 – that is the market potential estimated by recognized experts for zero emission transport vehicles. Provided that new business models, improved battery [...]
The problem of driver shortage within the logistics sector could lead to significant capacity shortages in the near future. To counteract any adverse effects, DHL Freight has started a pilot [...]
On the way to the road transport of the future, truck platooning plays an important role. Various field tests are currently under way in Europe to see how the networked truck groups work [...]
More and more truck manufacturers are focusing on E-Drives. Established brands and newcomers alike find themselves in a head-to-head race. At least since the diesel scandal, alternative drivetrains have been [...]
Logistics with zero emissions is an ambitious goal. But how is that zero calculated? Standards are required. Homogeneous measurement methods across all modes of transport are important. If these are [...]
Sweden has opened the world’s first e-highway, where trucks can drive with electricity from overhead cables. Trains and trams are often powered by overhead lines. That’s rather normal. In some [...]
Why are there currently (again) so many serious truck accidents?
Almost 500 truck accidents at the ends of traffic jams or other obstacles on the road occurred in 2019 in Germany, in which 45 truck drivers and eight occupants of [...]
When it gets hot on the roads, the stress level for people and the environment increases. Especially on hot days it is important to take care of your own health. [...]
International conflicts currently represent the greatest threat to growth and stability in the logistics industry – that is one of the key findings in the IRU study “The Future of [...]
New Heavy Truck registrations within the European market During the first ten months of this year, the number of new HGV-registrations in the class of 16 tons vehicle gross weight [...]
New Heavy Truck registrations within the European market During the first eight months of this year, the number of new HGV-registrations in the class of 16 tons and above increased [...]
New Heavy Truck registrations within the European market Looking at the period of January through March as a whole, new HGV-registrations rise by 2.9 percent compared to the same period [...]
The Alps are the most accessible high mountain range worldwide. Nevertheless, there is a persistent risk of a gridlock. The future of Alpine transit is still under discussion. One thing [...]
Where do I park my truck? The search for parking spaces is becoming a daily negative experience for Europe’s truck drivers. A recent study illustrates potential methods of resolution. From [...]
650 miles without a driver through the southern United States – not an utopia, but rather a reality. The field test for self-driving trucks with the longest distance by far [...]
New Heavy Truck Registration within the European market Between January and November 2017 the market for heavy goods vehicles in the EU grew by 1.1 percent compared with the same [...]
Making driving safer is one of the most important goals in the development of driver assistance systems. But they can do even more, from environmental benefits to self-driving cars. Trucks [...]
New Heavy Truck Registration within the European market During the first half of 2017, the numbers of new heavy goods vehicles (HGV) in Europe grew by just 2,2 %, compared with [...]
New Heavy Truck Registration within the European market During the first quarter of 2017, the numbers of new heavy goods vehicles (HGV) in Europe grew by 4.8 per cent, compared [...]
New Heavy Truck Registration within the European market Compared with the complete year results of 2015, the market for HGVs in 2016 grew by 12 %. And while the accrual [...]
The DVZ driving style comparison shows: less is more. Whoever reduces the cruising speed only a little can save a significant amount over an entire year. Often it is the [...]
Weak UK impacts EU market In September 2016, the EU market for heavy trucks grew by moderate 3 percent only – impacted by weak numbers in Great Britain. New registrations [...]
The German Federal Minister for Transportation Alexander Dobrindt aims to improve the social conditions of truck drivers – with new driver legislation. Regularly spending the weekends in a truck? Alexander [...]
Poland ahead In Q1 the EU market for heavy trucks grew by 18 %, with the larger markets headed by Poland (+43 %)Netherlands (+25 %)Spain (+22 %) Germany essentially flat [...]
Results of the Freight Connections survey on the Europe-wide use of long trucks. In April we asked you for your opinion on long trucks in Europe, and many of you [...]
In the United States and Germany, self-driving trucks are now taken to public roads for the first time The Hoover dam is an American icon. A sign that the United [...]
Increase in heavy truck registrations In 2015 the EU market for heavy trucks grew by 19 %, with the larger markets headed by Spain (+39 %)Netherlands (+34 %)UK (+32 %)Poland [...]
A new road toll system called Platon Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) was introduced in November 2015 specifically for vehicles exceeding 12 tons of gross vehicle weight (HGV N3 sub-category). The [...]
