European Parliament Analysis Reveals Fragmented Intermodal Terminal Infrastructure Across EU

Comprehensive analysis prepared for European Parliament's Transport Committee outlined fragmented landscape of intermodal freight terminals across European Union, assessing over 900 facilities using AGORA and SGKV terminal maps data, highlighting disparities in location, capacity, equipment, and modal integration. Germany holds dominant position hosting approximately 25-30% of all terminals, with country's dense infrastructure and extensive rail access contrasting sharply with uneven coverage elsewhere across member states.

Rail access present at 87-93% of terminals surveyed, whilst inland waterway access available at merely 21-24%, with barge-connected terminals mainly clustered along Rhine and Danube corridors. Most terminals fall within 10,000-150,000 square metre size range, with handling capacities typically between 500 and 2,500 TEUs. Average terminal area reached 68,916 square metres, whilst median stood at 35,000 square metres, suggesting significant size variations across network.

Rail infrastructure varies substantially, with track lengths ranging from under 500 metres to over 7,000 metres, concentration of longer-track terminals in Central Europe. SGKV dataset indicated mean usable track length reaching 2,497 metres, compared to 1,906 metres in older AGORA data, suggesting ongoing upgrades though reporting remains inconsistent.

Analysis proposes shifting from distance-based to performance-based combined transport definition, with additional recommendations including rail electrification, infrastructure expansion near urban nodes, terminal digitalisation, and improved service transparency. Investment gaps, underutilisation, and fragmented terminal services continue limiting EU ambitions for shifting freight to sustainable modes.