Transfer of goods hardly takes place

"There are few signs that there has been a shift from road to rail and shipping, or that the conditions for this have improved over time", writes Transport Analysis in a new report.

Transport Analysis report Godstransporter och konkurrenskraftens utveckling describe and analyze competitiveness in Sweden from a freight transport perspective. The results will be one of the basis for Transport Analysis final evaluation of the national freight transport strategy that the government presented in June 2018.

Some of the primary objectives of the freight transport strategy are to create the conditions for efficient, high-capacity and sustainable freight transport and to promote the shift of freight transport from road to rail and shipping. But Transport Analysis states that this has not happened to any great extent, despite the fact that it is a key issue for both shipping and the railway and despite the fact that it has been a recurring theme in the media reporting on freight transport.

So why is nothing happening? A prerequisite for this to happen is that the two modes of transport become more attractive and more competitive in relation to road transport. And it's not easy done. Road transport is relatively cheap and fast, while rail and shipping are better suited for transport over longer distances.

Electrification is seen as an additional obstacle as it is expected to strengthen the competitiveness of road transport even more in relation to shipping and rail. There is no doubt about the superior position of road transport. In this context, it is worth mentioning that a shift is rarely discussed in the road transport industry media. This indicates that a shift  is not perceived as a threat to the haulage industry.

Läs Trafikanalys rapport