Providing an introduction to the concept of intermodal freight transport, this work recounts both European experience and UK developments. It shows the political influences on this form of transport, and also includes explanations of the road and rail vehicles, the loading units and the transfer equipment used in such operations. Front cover captions ix Dedication x Disclaimer xi List of illustrations xiii The Author xv Foreword xvii Acknowledgements xix Preface xxi What Is Intermodal Freight Transport? 1(14) The background to intermodalism 3(1) The impact of the Channel Tunnel 4(1) Freight transport growth 4(2) Definitions 6(5) Why intermodalism now? 11(1) The potential market for intermodal transport 12(1) The future for intermodal freighting 13(2) UK and EU Policies for Intermodal Transport 15(21) UK Government policy 15(5) Intermodal policy in the EU 20(13) Chronology of reports and legislation 33(3) Intermodal Developments in the UK 36(16) Euro-trade and the Channel Tunnel 37(1) The rail scene 37(5) Tall and long boxes: the new container revolution 42(1) Government grant aid 42(1) Commercial developments 43(6) Combined transport vehicles 49(2) Working time and fuel prices 51(1) Intermodal Transport in Europe 52(10) Euro enlargement 52(1) IRU/UIC position statement on combined transport 53(3) Research and further action 56(1) The EU's Intermodality Task Force 56(1) Rail interoperability 57(1) Inland waterways 58(1) Current activities: an overview 58(2) Financial support 60(1) Operational developments 60(1) The way forward 60(2) Intermodalism in North America and World Markets 62(9) North America 62(5) Canada 67(1) The Baltic States 67(1) Asia 68(1) The Middle East 68(1) Australia 69(2) The Road Haulage Role in Intermodalism 71(9) Lorry sizes and weights for intermodal operations 72(1) Operator licensing, community authorizations, and professional competence 73(1) Exhaust emissions, noise limits, and energy consumption 73(1) Limits on driver working times 74(2) Safety law for carrying containers and working in docks 76(1) Safety in docks 77(1) Lorry Road User Charging: LRUC 77(1) Road traffic accidents 78(1) Road haulage operations 78(2) Rail-Freight Operations 80(12) Britain's privatized railway 80(1) Rail operations in Europe 81(2) European Railway Agency 83(1) The Euro-wide railway: Railion 84(1) UK rail-freight strategy 85(1) Rail freight in decline 85(1) The loading-gauge issue 85(1) Piggyback operation 86(1) Rolling highways 87(1) The Central Railway project 88(1) Channel Tunnel Rail Link 89(1) Eurotunnel 89(1) Freight aggregators and integrators 90(1) Locomotive power 91(1) Inland Waterway, Short-Sea, and Coastal Shipping 92(18) Waterway statistics 93(1) Inland waterways 93(2) UK inland waterways 95(5) Inland waterways in Europe 100(3) Short-sea and coastal shipping 103(6) Container shipping 109(1) Environmental and Economic Issues 110(12) An environmental solution 110(1) Freight by road, rail, or waterway? 110(2) The EC's view 112(1) The environmental impact of transport 113(2) `Something must be done' 115(1) Vehicle exhaust emissions 116(3) Environment reports 119(2) The economic issue 121(1) Grant Aid and Government Support 122(11) UK Government grants 122(7) EC grants 129(4) Intermodal Networks and Freight Interchanges 133(17) The TEN-Ts 134(4) Trans-European Rail Freight Freeways 138(1) Motorways of the Sea 139(1) Infrastructure developments in retrospect 140(2) Freight interchanges (terminals) 142(5) The EC's 2004 list of 30 TEN-T projects 147(3) Intermodal Road and Rail Vehicles and Maritime Vessels 150(16) Road vehicles 150(5) Bimodal semi-trailer systems 155(2) Rail wagons 157(4) Maritime vessels 161(5) Intermodal Loading Units, Transfer Equipment and Satellite Communications 166(14) Swap bodies 166(3) Freight containers 169(2) Lifting equipment 171(6) Other handling equipment 177(1) Satellite tracking of vehicles and loading units 177(3) Carrier Liability in Intermodal Transport 180(13) International agreements 181(1) Liability in domestic road and rail operations 181(1) International carriage of goods by road: CMR 182(5) International carriage of goods by rail: CIM 187(2) Compensation for loss 189(1) Liability rules for multimodal transport 190(1) GIT insurance protection 191(2) Intermodal Documentation and Authorizations 193(17) CMR consignment notes for international haulage journeys 194(2) Consignment notes for own-account carriage by road 196(1) CIM consignment notes for international rail journeys 197(2) Combined/multimodal transport documents 199(1) Legal requirements for international road haulage journeys 200(1) Community authorization 200(3) Road haulage cabotage 203(2) Bilateral road haulage permits 205(1) Eco-points for transit of Austria 206(2) Permit checks 208(1) Own-account transport operations 208(1) Other documents 208(2) Customs Procedures 210(8) Community Transit 210(4) Transport International Routier (TIR) 214(2) ATA Carnets 216(1) Carnets de Passage 216(2) International Carriage of Dangerous Goods 218(22) Dangerous goods legislation 218(17) The international carriage of dangerous goods by rail: RID 235(2) The carriage of dangerous goods through the Channel Tunnel (IGC) 237(3) Safety in Transport 240(10) Safety in road freighting 241(4) Rail safety 245(1) Freight container safety regulations 246(1) International standards for swap bodies 247(1) Maritime safety 248(1) Duty of care 249(1) Glossary of terms 250(8) Bibliography 258(5) Index 263