Press release

ESC condemns the opinion voted in the Transport Committee of the European Parliament earlier this week to oppose the use of longer trucks on Europe’s roads as being short-sighted and harmful to Europe’s economic interests.

Last week saw the ESC’s Inland Transport Council re-enforcing its support for the extended use within Europe of longer, potentially heavier road freight vehicle combinations, referred to as the European Modular System. This support was in recognition of the mounting evidence from studies and pilot tests that the operation of such vehicle combinations generated significant economic and environmental benefits – completely counter to the arguments used by opponents of the modular system.

Nicolette van der Jagt, Secretary General of the European Shippers’ Council commented: ‘There are absolutely no grounds to the argument that these longer vehicle combinations would make any noticeable difference to rail freight’s fortunes. It is strange that the Parliament should even be deliberating on this issue in the context of the report’s main purpose – the opinion of Parliament on the implementation of the first railways package. Nevertheless, it is time the rail freight sector and its supporters stopped trying to stop others from becoming more efficient and better at what they do and instead focussed on how they could raise their own game. There are still too many instances of rail freight operators letting themselves down, their customers and the sector down through their own inability to deliver a reliable and efficient service; they should be worrying about that and not trying to blame others for their misfortunes.’

Ms van der Jagt continued: ‘ESC however strongly believes rail freight can play a larger role in European freight logistics. We are supporting the Commission in its efforts to liberalise the rail freight sector and rid the EU of monopolistic, anticompetitive, incumbent operators that refuse to accept they have to change or else be replaced by those that can do the job better.’

‘We find it of great concern and extremely frustrating that Parliament still wishes to look at bold new developments such as the European Modular System purely in modal terms. Rather than looking at this as a road freight development they should see it more as a freight transport innovation that improves the efficiency of freight transport and increases the utilisation of the existing transport infrastructure. Growing levels of congestion in the EU and growing transport flows emphasize the need for every single transport mode to increase its efficiency.’

ESC believes that with greater competition in the rail freight sector, efficiency and service performance will improve and enable more shippers and logistics service providers to choose rail, and combine it with road freight operations. The modular concept presents greater opportunities for co-modal (intermodal) logistics operations due to the standard loading units being the same as are used in maritime and rail freight distribution, so increasing the possibilities for loading the units from trucks to other modes where possible.‘

One cannot help feeling that rail will never move on if its supporters do not themselves move on in the way they think about transport and logistics and rail’s role within it. I hope the European Parliament will rethink its opinion of the modular concept and recognise it for the benefits it is increasingly demonstrating it can deliver to its customers, the economy, to the environment and to rail freight.’

For further information contact: Nicolette van der Jagt, Secretary General of the ESC - Brussels 00 322 230 2113