Intermodal transport in Spain: comparative analysis with Europe, challenges and future perspectives as a strategic objective
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The commitment to intermodal freight transport or efficient intermodality defines one of the most important strategic lines in this field within the European Union, which also has notable environmental implications. In the specific case of Spain, intermodality is very limited, and its main drawback is the different width of the railway track. The main objective of this article is to determine the current situation of freight transport and intermodality in Spain in order to define different strategic objectives. The methodology applied in the study combines the quantitative analysis of official data on the transport of goods obtained from secondary sources with the qualitative analysis of the results of six semi-structured interviews carried out with professionals in the sector (primary source). The results of the study warn that in Spain intermodal transport is quite far from the European average, being the second continental country in Europe that transports the largest amount of goods by road. It is concluded that, although intermodality in Spain is currently neither efficient nor a strategic objective, it should be in the medium term, since with adequate investment and planning, it will contribute to promoting efficient and sustainable freight transport management.
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