Light Freight Railway (LFR) as an innovative solution for Sustainable Urban Freight Transport

Abstract

This article discusses the issues of rail freight transport functioning in urban areas. The main purpose of this article is to identify the conditions for implementing the Light Freight Railway (LFR) as an innovative solution for Sustainable Urban Freight Transport. To achieve the assumed goal, the following research methods were used: literature review, documentary method and Delphi method. The area covered by the research is the Szczecin Metropolitan Area, Poland. The study has demonstrated that despite the features that univocally determine the place and role of rail transport on the service market, it is important to implement innovative solutions that involve rail transport. The concept presented by the authors can help use railway to carry cargoes on short distances in urban areas. The proposed system is in line with the assumptions of sustainable development of transport. The conducted research has shown that implementation of the LFR is conditioned by a number of factors of technical and organisational nature, but it can contribute to achieving certain short- and long-term benefits. The LFR concept is an autonomous solution that can be implemented in individual urban areas, regardless of any solutions applied in other areas within a given transport chain.