A promising co-operation between railways and airlines

As a backbone, the international worldwide supply chain needs high quality express freight services. This kind of airfreight has the highest growth rate in the transport sector (over 10%). Air sector transport represents only 1% of the global freight volume but 30% of the transport value. Within Europe, international express cargo is distributed by plane and for short distances, by truck. The service is absolutely vital to enable certain industries to function, e.g. by providing spare parts to manufacturing plants. In view of the distances involved, plus the narrow time windows, trucks can only really usefully be employed over distances of up to 250km approx, although this can be more at weekends when the transit time window is wider for most applications.

The catchment area of an airport depends on its distribution network of smaller planes, plus the one-day truck radius for shorter distances. The nature of air freight and especially express cargo is such that it is necessary to operate at night, since customers tend to require late pick-up and delivery (usually) the next business day.

Constraining factors are; slot capacity, aircraft payload, airport serviceability (weather etc), to say nothing of the high fluctuation of volumes in the networks. Future night-time restrictions would be an additional strategic concern, on top of these more operational difficulties facing today’s air infrastructure to cope with rapidly growing market demand for express cargo (this being a key for sustained economic growth).

Night-time traffic restrictions (‘Night ban’) could place restrictions on air freight traffic, a classic bottleneck situation. For shorter distances, the truck-feeder system is increasingly hampered by congestion problems (the ‘right lane phenomenon’). These capacity factors represent the first initial driver for the new co-modality air/rail cargo.

Fast and high-speed rail might be able to supplement this air/road operations combination to make full use of the modes potentially available for co-modality, provided that this solution is able to match the understandably demanding technical, organisational, quality and business requirements of the sector, given the urgency of the goods carried.

The airfreight / express market is looking for a solution that offers the same high quality as the present air distribution system. The only remaining alternative will be high speed rail, as a means of replacing road + air (“Quicker than road, cheaper than air”). Of course the rail option needs to be strongly advocated as a means of coping sensibly with existing (and expected) growth, and catering to the need to reduce the burden (noise, emissions) on local residents and the environment at large.

This could however be a forward-looking solution that would help contain gas and noise emissions, which thus represents the second driver. According to French studies, carbon dioxide emissions from the high speed freight train system are only 2% of those of a cargo plane to achieve the same result.

Another factor recently emerging is the need to limit the use of kerosene at a time when oil prices are exploding. The air/rail cargo system will be less oil-dependent than the existing modes of transport.

Since 1995, there have been studies looking into the possibility of developing fast cargo trains for serving clients. In a number of scattered initiatives the air/rail cargo system was analysed from the classical intermodal approach to the TGV / ICE system. In recent years these initiatives in different countries have merged and become clearer and more constructive.
Up until now, airfreight has operated using conventional intermodal systems or Road Feeder Services.

For nearly two years the latter alternative has been emerging increasingly strongly:
The basic background for the start of such developments is the position of the large integrators in Europe, and the growth expected in the near future in their freight volumes. Companies like FedEx, TNT, UPS and DHL collect and distribute express cargo to and from the different locations all over the world. The integrators have their own planes and belong to the big and very big airlines. They have (numerous) night slots in the different airports, but foresee a future where they may be able to keep these night slots but will not be allowed to extend them further. This means that for their growth they will have to concentrate on intercontinental flight possibilities.

The approach, that consists of a high speed rail system, combined with air freight, is innovative in respect to:

• The dedicated high speed rail system
• Specific terminal infrastructure
• The system of transhipping air containers to rail.

With this in mind, two years ago the EIA (European Intermodal Association) launched a working group called REX (Rail Express) to consider general interoperability issues:

The group agreed on the following scope of work:

• Interoperability issues for
• Loading units
• Transhipment systems
• Terminal infrastructure
• The intermodal process chain
• IT processes.
• Rail network capacity (network statement by the IM )
• REX integration into rail operating concepts (mixed vs. mono operation)
• Relevant corridors
• Slot availability
• Missing air-rail links
• Network statement by the rail infra manager.
• Security issues
• Relevant transport chain
• Existing international regulations
• Necessary harmonisation.
• Energy and emission impact

In initial talks with the Commission it became clear that, for the above activities, ‘commercial’ push was needed to underline market needs. Last year that driving momentum was achieved in France, with the founding of the ‘CAREX’ activity.

It is not a coincidence that the larger airports have connections with the high speed network. For passenger transport this is essential. The larger airports, which in most cases have a large amount of freight, are connected to the rail network, or links are being planned. In addition, two airports that are European integrator hubs (Liege and Cologne) also have somewhat direct connections to the high speed network as well. All of this forms the backbone of a system that can grow into a high quality European connection/system for the distribution of time-critical and express cargo.

Moreover, it is equally important for major hub airports to be connected at the other end (to ensure sensible use of the larger capacity of trains), including airports where integrators co-load on passenger aircraft. These considerations are driving network designs and hence should underlie plans for extensions. Quite possibly one or two bilateral lines, or regional spokes, could be launched in the first instance and later joined up successively into a wider pan-European network.

In a general sense, rolling stock development is in the stage of adaptation to cater to onward air freight cargoes. The high speed trains which are available at the moment (except for the old trains of La Poste in France) are not for freight transport. The train concept has to focus on a ‘high volume’ passenger version, i.e. the double deck version has to be redesigned for fast cargo transport. These are the only trains that are high enough to accommodate the loading units, e.g. air freight pallets, and the transhipment technology. The train doors, floor height and fast fixing systems for the units in the train will be the factors that require the most attention.

The terminals for fast cargo trains will be new, but the basic technology to be used there is available. So, in the design of the terminals, re-use of existing airfreight technology and its adaptation to a new concept is the job to be done.

At the airports of this European system, transshipment terminals need to be built to serve the High Speed Express/Cargo trains. It is clear that the terminals need to fit into the system of air cargo and high speed trains. The system needs to be a European system. Fast Cargo Train terminals are new and need to be developed and built at each of the proposed rail-linked airports. The connection and the development of terminals will differ a little from one country to another due to different procedures. The performance of the terminals however, will be the same.

In respect of the development of sites for Fast Cargo Rail Terminals, the following activities have to be carried out by means of various projects:

• Analysing the airport links to the rail network: existing and to be planned
• Process and procedures for the different rail terminals. Checking how these investigations have to be done for each of the European terminals in order to harmonise procedures.

Initiatives for fast cargo trains have been especially pushed by the integrators. They are quality driven (“in the event of delay: money back”). Other forwarders and the air cargo companies will presumably jump on the train as soon as rail can offer regular services. They and other producers and distributors will probably use the trains concerned for time-critical cargo, especially over larger distances where truck transport is (too) slow and expensive. Just one example: the Flower Auctions in the Netherlands have already declared themselves to be very interested for distribution to the south of Europe: Milan, Marseille, Barcelona and Madrid.

In 2006 a group of stakeholders including the Paris Airport Authority, freight operators (such as Air France, FedEx, TNT), RFF (the French Rail Network Authority), public authorities (such as local towns, local councils) and others, started a political-public partnership called ‘Roissy CAREX’, under the presidency of Mr Paternotte (Member of the French National Parliament). The intention was to analyse the feasibility of high speed trains for express freight. Feasibility could be demonstrated in a first phase in relation to specific destinations. The first step was the constitution of public-private groups: Liège Carex, HST Cargo Schiphol (‘Amsterdam Carex’). Parallel to that, London Carex, Lyon Carex and others, will be created before the end of the first half of 2008. Each group will operate independently, driving its own studies, etc.

The second step will be the creation of Eurocarex, probably in June this year. It will be a kind of European federation based in Brussels, bringing together the local Carex groups and other institutions of influence. The objective will be to manage the project at European scale.

The final goal will be to operate fast cargo trains from around 2013 in a European context. This initiative is expressively supported by the ecological programme ‘Grenelle de l’environnement’ of the French President Nicolas Zarkozy.

A similar evolution has taken place in Germany. DHL has moved its European hub from Brussels to the airport of Leipzig/Halle. The new hub is connected to the German rail network. Together with Lufthansa Cargo, DHL is to start operations this year with 140 km/h trains (Air Cargo Express) from its hub to Fraport. The trains will carry 40 ULDs on 10 wagons with Railion as the operator.

Air/rail cargo intermodality has not yet been a topic of high political value, but the industry is increasingly developing this alternative. Whereas the promotion of air/rail passenger intermodality has always had political support, there is a clear lack of policy in favour of air/high speed rail intermodality for goods. FedEx sees “an urgent priority for European policymakers to focus on opportunities presented by air/rail high speed rail transport and to support its development.” The commercial players are ready to implement air/high speed rail intermodality policy for freight. This will be a forward-looking solution that will contain gas and noise emissions and limit the use of kerosene at a time when oil prices are exploding.

Generally speaking it is necessary to make a distinction between more political co-modality activities (such as those of the REX Group) and commercial projects (like the planned Eurocarex activity).

Under such circumstances, general cooperation with the European Commission is necessary and could take place on two levels:

• The European Commission should support the new co-modality at policy level, in other words:
• Ensure that the new co-modality is well known in Europe
• Transfer the idea to more countries in Europe
• Communicate the positive environmental aspects.
• To avoid problems of interoperability, proactive standards are needed for the following items:
• Interoperability issues
• Rail Network Statement
• Security Issues, and (additionally)
• Energy and emission impact aspects.

It would be useful and wise for all interested stakeholders like railways, airlines, airports and the freight integrators to join forces, in order to avoid a non-coordinated development. The transport market is facing extreme challenges and urgently needs efficient supply chains of a sustainable nature.

About Klaus Ebeling

Klaus Ebeling is the current Secretary General of the European Intermodal Association. Born in Braunschweig (Germany) in 1937, he was educated in Hamburg where he left Grammar-School with School-Leaving Certificate (Abitur). He then completed his legal training in Hamburg, Tüingen and Freiburg (University and Courts). Mr Ebeling started his career in 1967 with German Railways and since then has held a number of senior positions within the industry, including; Head of International Affairs for German railways, Deputy Secretary General of the International Union of Railways (UIC), and Director for European Affairs at Deutsche Bahn AG. Mr Ebeling is also a qualified lawyer (registered in Frankfurt am Main).