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Rail Freight Systems: What Future?

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Marin Marinov

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Abstract

Today, a variety of environmental problems threaten our world. We are witnesses to climate changes at global level caused by environmental damages and ecological disproportions. Society has to struggle with this imminent threat quickly and efficiently otherwise the situation will soon become irreversible. On one hand, unfortunately, statistical data for CO2 emissions in European Community over the past years show undesirable stable states characterised with a slight increase, where, among all the sectors transportation contributes to CO2 total emissions by up to 25%. On the other hand however, freight transport continues to grow, with the largest increases being for the least energy efficient transport modes, i.e. road and air freight. Rail freight and inland waterways by contrast show a worrying decline in market share overall which is undoubtedly not a good thing. We believe that one possible way to change the trends in the transportation sector is to modernise the existing railway freight systems and then strongly encourage freight forwarders to transport by rail. This will have a direct positive effect on the greenhouse gas emissions, and hence on the environment as a whole. In this paper, a comprehensive discussion on railway freight systems and prognoses of how these systems shall evolve in the coming future is provided.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Marinov M, White T

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: World Transport Policy & Practice

Year: 2009

Volume: 15

Issue: 2

Pages: 9-28

Print publication date: 01/08/2009

Date deposited: 15/12/2009

ISSN (print): 1352-7614

Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.

URL: http://eco-logica.co.uk/pdf/wtpp15.2.pdf


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