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Rail Transport System

In this section you will learn more about the rail transport system and its different elements goods, trains, railways and railway stations. This topic follows the structure of the conceptual system model of transport and traffic.

7. Summary

Overall Rail transport is safe and reliable. The high environmental friendliness and, in addition, the high transport capacity make rail transport attractive. What speaks against it, however, are the high costs and the general inflexibility.

More advantages and disadvantages of rail transport are listed below.

Advantages
  • safe transport
  • exact time tables, reliable
  • hazardous goods permissible
  • no general driving ban on Sundays
  • heavy lift traffic handling
  • economy of scale → advantage only for block-trains and direct trains
  • high transport capacity 
  • higher single loading weight compared to trucks
  • own infrastructure → certain level of independence (e.g. no traffic jam)
  • relatively fast point to point delivery
  • if electrified, best ecological performance compared to other transport modes
  • low energy consumption per tkm, based on transported unit 
  • opportunities for automation

Disadvantages
  • no complete coverage and in most countries reduction of the track network
  • inflexible operations through binding timetable 
  • inflexible due to high expenditures of time and costs for the preparation and implementation of transportation
  • capital-intensive set-up, operation and maintenance costs
  • high external costs
  • exclusion of certain dangerous goods
  • no seamless interfaces between competing railway networks under separate ownership (interoperability and non-discrimination)
Now you know the most important things about the rail transport system. If you are interested in other modes of transport too, feel free to check our other topics inland waterway transport system, maritime transport system, air transport system and road transport system.

Literature
Nuhn, H.; Hesse, M. (2006): Verkehrsgeographie, Schöningh Verlag, Paderborn

Schulte, C. (1991): Logistik. Wege zur Optimierung des Material- und Informationsflusses. Verlag Franz Vahlen, München. S. 64-65

Wannenwetsch, H. (Hrsg.) (2008): Intensivtraining Produktion, Einkauf, Logistik und Dienstleistung. URL: https://www.springer.com/de/book/9783834910639 (last access: 30.03.2022)