Facilitating Modal Shift by an Innovative Inland Vessel and Logistics System

Abstract

Central European inland waterways are presently utilized way below their theoretical carrying capacity. The economic situation of companies operating inland waterway fleets is, amongst other factors, characterized by an over aged fleet, eroding profit margins, a high dependency on fuel costs, and/or infrastructural bottlenecks causing delays in running-times. To support an increase of transport flows on inland waterways (especially container transport on the Danube) and to contribute to a significant modal shift, shipping companies and owner-operators have to be enabled to improve their economic position. There are several ways to meet this challenge, of course: One is to develop an innovative inland container vessel and logistics system which allows to meet operator’s targeted costs, optimize time-management (reliability), answer to inland shipping-specific bottlenecks (e.g. low bridges, shallow waters), improve carbon footprints and thus successfully interact with road and railway transport.