Goods Transport - Characteristics of transport modes Offer and Capacity
Optimizing the use of existing infrastructures and implementing policies designed to effectively balance all traffic flows, while promoting alternatives to the road transport mode, turns out to be of prime importance in extrapolating the current increase in the flow of goods and its impact on the risk of network saturation. Excellent knowledge of the various transport modes and their supporting networks is therefore essential to assessing the inherent spare capacities of these modes.
Optimizing the use of existing infrastructures and implementing policies designed to effectively balance all traffic flows, while promoting alternatives to the road transport mode, turns out to be of prime importance in extrapolating the current increase in the flow of goods and its impact on the risk of network saturation. Excellent knowledge of the various transport modes and their supporting networks is therefore essential to assessing the inherent spare capacities of these modes. The Direction Générale des Infrastructures, des Transports et de la Mer (DGITM, ex-DGMT) [general directorate for the infrastructures, sea and transportation] responsible for transport at the Ministère de l’Écologie, du Développement Durable, des Transports et du Logement (MEEDTL, ex-MEDAD) [French ministry of Ecology, sustainable development, transport and housing] has expressed considerable expectations regarding this subject and has therefore requested preparation of a guide to freight network capacity, with an English complete translation.
Contents
Foreword 5
Background, objectives and scope of this guide 5
Introduction 6
Infrastructure capacity – What are the issues? 6
Section 1 - Some goods transport characteristics 9
Introduction 10
1 - Changes-over in economic processes 11
2 - Logistical organisations and consequences for transport 13
3 - Comparison of various transport modes 18
4 - Information and communication technologies in transport 23
Appendices 26
Section 2 - Characteristics of pallets and containers for goods transport 28
Introduction
1 - Pallets 29
2 - Containers 31
Appendices 37
Section 3 - Rail transport capacity 39
Introduction 40
1 - Regulatory and organizational framework of rail transport 42
2 - Equipment used for Rail Freight 45
3 -The French national rail Network 48
4 - Railway network Operation 52
5 - Railway network Capacity 57
6 - Assessment and development prospects 66
Appendices 69
Section 4 - Road cransport capacity 82
Introduction 83
1 - Regulatory and organisational framework of road transport 84
2 - Road transport Vehicles 91
3 - Description of French road Network 97
4 - Road infrastructure Capacity 102
Appendices 109
Section 5 - Combined Road/Rail transport capacity 124
Introduction 125
1 - General information on combined road/rail transport 125
2 - Equipment: Swap Bodies 127
3 - Combined transport Capacities: what constraints? 128
4 - Design of combined transport Terminals 132
Appendices 137
Section 6 - Inland Waterway transport capacity 142
Introduction 143
1 - Fleet Used for inland waterway Freight Transport 144
2 - Description of inland waterway Network 148
3 - Inland waterway network Operation 151
4 - Inland waterway network Capacity 153
5 - Capacity of inland Ports 161
Appendices 166
Section 7 - Sea transport capacity 185
Introduction 186
1 - Regulatory and organisational framework of Sea Transport of Goods 186
2 - Fleet used for sea transport of goods 191
3 - Harbour terminal characteristics 196
4 - Competitive criteria for ports and challenges for Capacity 199
Appendices 209
Section 8 - Air transport capacity 225
Introduction 226
1 - Organisational framework of Air Freight 227
2 - Equipment used for air freight 232
3 - Airport runway capacity 235
4 - Air corridor capacity 239
5 - The air freight Terminal 240
6 - How is airport freight capacity evaluated ? 243
Appendices 246
Section 9 - Pipeline transport capacity 254
Introduction 255
1 - Oil pipelines 255
2 - Gas pipelines 259
Appendices 263
Bibliographical References 269
Lexicon and Glossary of Acronyms 278
