Combined Rail-Road Transport in Europe - Improvement Potential and Impact of Environmental Policy on Competitiveness

This dissertation investigates the topic of combined rail-road transport with a focus on Europe. In addition to an introduction to the subject and a description of the research design utilized, it consists of three distinct studies whose results build upon one another. In the first study, a Delphi study combined with a systematic literature review, explicit measures were identified on how combined transport can be strengthened from a practical perspective and which topic areas related research deals with. By synthesizing the results of both methods, a practice-oriented research agenda was created. It is intended to be a document of the current challenges of combined transport and an effective solution to them. The second study deals with port competition through hinterland connectivity, in which combined transport plays a major role. Using the example of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which is within the geographical scope of ports of the northern range, the influence of the CO2 tax introduced in 2021 is examined. A simulation model is used to investigate the impact of the tax, leading to interesting insights into the potential shift in competitive scope. The third and final study deals with the new possibilities of the China Railway Express, a direct train connection between Europe and China. Since the connection is enjoying increasing popularity, a simulation model, inspired by the second study, was used to examine which areas in China are economically accessible to exporters in Hesse utilizing this train connection. In addition, it was examined how this area would change if a (hypothetical) global carbon tax was introduced. All three studies together provide an overview of the current challenges of combined transport in Europe, its medium-term changes due to political and environmental regulations, and an outlook on the possibilities of intercontinental rail transport.