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Report shows trucks are greener than rail
Page 12
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• Road transport is better for the environment than road/rail combinations, according to a new study.
The report, Brussels—A Scientific Study was commissioned by the International Road Transport Union and German road transport association BGL. It found that trucks outperformed road/rail modes in terms of energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
This is in sharp contrast with the European Commission's White Paper on transport, which claims transporting freight by rail and road is more environmentally friendly.
The IRU/BGL report also suggests that combined transport performs best when trains are powered by electricity from nuclear power stations.
"The European Commission did not provide evidence to support its claims," says BGL presi dent Hermann Grewer. Our Study shows that Shifting freight from road to rail will net reduce the overall environmental impact of transport."
The 111U claims that the EC barely distinguished between conventional rail freight and the different forms of combined transport: it stresses that these differences are fundamental.
The IHU/BGL study shows that combined transport where the trailer, tractor and driver are all carried on a train is outperformed in energy and CD2 terms by unaccompanied combined transport—and by conventional road transport.
However, the EC defends its strategy. "We do not want to stop road transport, or worse, to substitute it," says a spokesman. "We want to restrict its growth in the coming 10 years. It is expected to have a growth Of 50%; we want to limit it at M.*