An introductory comparison of the Advantages and Disadvantages associated with:

Rail Freight Vs Road Freight

15th Feb 2013

Introduction
The Team

James Ferguson
Timothy Bay Angad Sandhu

Trucks Vs Trains

Introduction
The Investigation

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the use of freight transport via road versus freight

transport via rail across Europe, thus paying particular attention to the sustainability in supply
chain operations for each method.

Trucks Vs Trains

A bit of Background
Rail Transport

A bit of Background
Road Transport

However road freight as we know it today really evolved with the first Trucks. These were built in 1896 by Gottlieb Daimler.

Europe freight (Road vs. Rail) Comparative analysis

Road Rail

Total length

Total road network: 5.6 million Km. Total rail network: 97,600 Km (2005) Higher reach to remote destinations & (0.212 million Km + 0.111 million vs rail transport Km = 0.323 million Km) (2009) Lower traffic density vs road leading to shorter transit times in higher population regions (2009) Euro 2,290.41 Billion 2.95 million 45.3% of total 3.831 billion-tonne km of goods transport = 1.735 btk (2011) Euro 18 billion down from Euro 20 billion in 2008 0.712 million 10.2% of total 3.831 billion-tonne km of goods transport = 0.39 btk

Economic turnover Employment Total Transport

[1]

European union road statistics 2009, European Union road federation, accessed February 12, 2013, http://www.irfnet.eu/images/stories/Statistics/2009/2._Road_Network.pdf. [2] Transport infrastructure TEN T, http://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/infrastructure/ten-t-policy/transport-mode/doc/rail_tab1_country_length_ten-t_rail.pdf. [3] European transport figures 2012, 2.1.14 accessed February 12, 2013, http://ec.europa.eu/transport/facts-fundings/statistics/doc/2012/pocketbook2012.pdf. [4] European union road statistics 2009, http://www.irfnet.eu/images/stories/Statistics/2009/1._General_Data.pdf. [5] Kevin Smith, European rail-freight struggles despite improving traffic, International railway journal, August 30, 2012, accessed February 12, 2013, http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/freight/european-railfreight-struggles-despite-improving-traffic.html. [6] European transport figures 2012, European commission, 2.1.5 accessed February 12, 2013, http://ec.europa.eu/transport/factsfundings/statistics/doc/2012/pocketbook2012.pdf.

Trucks Vs Trains

Road

Overview of Transport via Road

Advantages Departure Customizable transport departure times time. Increased flexibility of dispatch Vehicle Transport via different types and type sizes of vehicles. Namely: Lorries (Axle: (2 axle, 3 axle), Road train (4 axle, central 5 axle or more) shaft of a rotating wheel) Disadvantages Departure and transit time hit due to traffic jams and congestion/accidents/material damage Road train is always shorter than train Combination lengths B-Double- 26 m (85.3 ft) max B-Triple- 33.5 m (110 ft) max Pocket road train- 27.5 m (90.2 ft) max. This configuration is classed as a "Long Vehicle" Double road train- 36.5 m (120 ft) max Triple and AB-Quad road trains53.5 m (176 ft) max

Package size

Variation in package size is Lower when compared to freight rail one acceptable. Single axle (steer tyre): axle load 6MT till triaxial grouping (20MT) for road trains

[1] [2]

Road train, Wikipedia, accessed February 13, 2013, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_train#Combination_lengths Road train,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_train

Trucks Vs Trains

Rail

Overview of Transport via Rail

Advantages Disadvantages

Departure times

Set material delivery times vs. road transport, which are subject to traffic congestion Conventional and high-speed rail available. Diesel and electric traction is available for European rail. Single wagon to multiple freight trains is available. Conventional freight lines: 750 m long

Non-Customizable set departure times. Reduced flexibility of dispatch

Vehicle type

Freight transport for smaller rails less economical

Package size Large containers enable greater break Containers only - package movement bulk carrying loads. Max axle load only after full container stuffing applicable of: 22.5 MT
[1]

Michael Spielmanm, Roland W. Scholtz, Lifecycle in Transport services, Ecoinvent database (2005): 87, accessed February 13, 2013, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1065/lca2004.10.181.10 [2] Transport infrastructure TEN T, European Commission, accessed February 12, 2013, http://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/infrastructure/ten-t-policy/transportmode/rails_en.htm.

Trucks Vs Trains

Energy Usage Rail vs. Road

Road Rail

Total energy (2010) 299.72 Mtoe consumption (million tonne oil equiv) = 3485.74 megawatt hours 82.1% of final energy consumption of Eu-27 Greenhouse (2009) 878.4 million gases tonnes of Co2 equivalent or 71.7% of the total

(2010) 7.36 Mtoe = 85.59 megawatt hours 2% of final energy consumption of Eu-27

(2009) 7.5 million tonnes of Co2 equivalent or 0.6% of the total

[1]

European transport figures 2012, 3.2.3 accessed February 12, 2013, http://ec.europa.eu/transport/facts-fundings/statistics/doc/2012/pocketbook2012.pdf.

Trucks Vs Trains

Energy Usage Rail vs. Road

[1]

Michael Spielmanm, Roland W. Scholtz, Lifecycle in Transport services, Ecoinvent database (2005): 87, accessed February 13, 2013, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1065/lca2004.10.181.10

Trucks Vs Trains

Comparison
Category Type Trucking Railroad

Tons of CO2 equivalents / million ton- 230 miles (2007)

Air Pollution Accidents Tons of PM/ million ton-miles (2002) 0.12

28.96
0.018

Fatalities per billion ton-miles (avg 2003-2007)

Injuries per billion ton-miles (avg 20032007)

2.54
55.98

0.39
3.32

Congestions

Cost of delay to road user (2000)

10.86

0.58

Trucks Vs Trains

Noise Pollution

External Costs induced to support both methods: EU-15 + Switzerland + Norway

External Costs Congestion Accidents Noise Climate Change Air Pollution TOTAL Road (Billion Euro) 268 156 40 70 164 698 Rail (Billion Euro) 0.3 1.4 2.1 2.4 6.2

Source: INFRAS / IWW2004

Trucks Vs Trains

Government subsidies
Billion Euro per year
700 600 500 400 300 200 Total subsidies Total external costs

100
0 Road Source: EEA 2007 Rail *Costs are inclusive of all previously identified factors

Legislation
Railways and Highways
European rail network for competitive freight (Regulation EC 913/2010)

...First Railway Package aimed to open up the transEU directive 91/440 open access European rail freight network to international goods services operations on railway lines: by 2008...

Trucks Vs Trains

Legislation
Vehicles
Driving Authorities MOTs

Trucks Vs Trains

Overview
In 2008 a freight company opted to send produce via rail instead of by road from Marseilles to Ludwigshafen:

http://www.rail-link-europe.com/uploads/Sustainable%20Development%20RLE%20-%20UK.pdf

Trucks Vs Trains

Put this into context..

A gallon of diesel will carry a tonne of freight 246 miles by rail as opposed to 88 miles by road.

Trucks Vs Trains

Public and Social opinion

More customers admit to being influenced in their purchases by economically friendly tag lines

Public and Social opinion

Big Brands are recognising that efficiency and sustainability sells.

Summary
It is evident the most effective way to transport freight is by a combination of both road and rail

Trucks Vs Trains

Predictions for the Future...

By 2020/20301 Road transport (trucks) operating cost is supposed to increase by 4% compared to 2005 Rail transport operating cost is supposed to decrease by 10% due to more efficient planning and improved operability. From 2005 to 2030: tonne-km is supposed to increase by 43% for trucking and 79% for rail.
[1]

Jeppe Rich and Christian Overgaard Hansen, Freight transport trends for 2020, 2030 and 2050 - Freight transport foresight,, DG TREN 7th Research framework program (2009): 5, accessed February 14, 2013, http://www.freightvision.eu/files/D4.3.pdf,

Trucks Vs Trains

Questions?