A new methodology to evaluate the competitiveness of rail freight intermodal transport taking into account external costs

New rail infrastructure projects, including base tunnels and lines, significantly boost rail freight competitiveness over road transport, leading to substantial CO₂ emission reductions. A novel methodology—combining a detailed rail cost function, multi-regional demand modeling, time-series forecasting, and mixed logit modal choice analysis—reveals that while the Gotthard line remains dominant among Alpine passes, Brenner and Fréjus lines see marked flow increases under 'project' and 'future' scenarios. This shift underscores rail's potential to mitigate environmental costs in freight logistics.

Farina, A., Conte, D., Brocchini, L., Secondulfo, A., Petracchi, L., & Lupi, M. (2025). A new methodology to evaluate the competitiveness of rail freight intermodal transport taking into account external costs. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 34, 101657. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2025.101657