According to research by K&P Transport Consultants and the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, commissioned by the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies, the introduction of up to 25.25m-long mega-trucks could trigger complete or partial abandonment of some railfreight markets, with wagonload traffic particularly vulnerable.
The study considered five trans-European corridors and concluded that wagonload would be worst affected because of its high fixed costs.
It warns that the intensity of the decline in wagonload markets, where decreasing volumes lead to higher unit costs, could cause their partial or complete breakdown.
