Intra-European rail transport: the logical choice for efficiency and sustainability

In an ever-changing logistics landscape, intra-European rail transport is seen as a smart, future-proof solution for companies. Its combination of efficiency, speed and sustainability makes it an attractive alternative to road and sea freight. With lower CO₂ emissions and substantial cost savings, rail transport offers companies the opportunity to both reduce their environmental impact and optimise their logistics processes. Rail Bridge Cargo (RBC) plays a key role in this by offering complete relief and simplifying logistics challenges within Europe. Read more after the image.

Rail Bridge Cargo (RBC) has long been a familiar face in international rail transport and known to many for rail transport to and from Asia. RBC also offers unique advantages within Europe. Nynke Speulman is logistics coordinator at RBC and explains, "The European rail network is spread out and complex, with many regional providers. The great advantage of working with us is that we know all these providers and arrange everything through a single point of contact. This makes us the perfect partner for companies that choose efficiency."

One of the biggest strengths of rail transport is its combination with road transport. "Putting a trailer on a train is a huge advantage. When they reach the final destination, they are unloaded and coupled to a truck for the 'last mile'. This makes the whole operation more efficient and allows us to guarantee strict delivery times," says Nynke.

Cost-efficiency and sustainability

Besides speed, rail transport within Europe is also very cost-effective. "Our trains only take 1 to 2 days longer than full road transport, but it is about 20% cheaper," Nynke says. This makes rail transport attractive not only for the wallet, but also for companies looking to reduce their CO₂ emissions. Since 1 July 2024, companies with more than 100 employees have been subject to a CO₂ registration obligation. From 2027, there will also be a CO₂ tax.
"We see that more and more companies want to anticipate these regulations and actively choose sustainable options such as rail," Nynke continued. RBC offers customers full route-based CO₂ reports, which facilitates this switch. "For logistics companies, this is a serious wake-up call. Not only the law, but also our customers are increasingly asking for concrete emission figures."

The future of rail in Europe

Although current rail capacity is sufficient, Nynke sees opportunities for further growth and development. "Governments need to do more to make rail more attractive. We already see infrastructure investments on several routes, and once these projects are completed, the benefits will be even greater."
In addition, rail offers a solution to the growing labour shortages in the transport sector. "What is more efficient? One driver hauling 50 trailers, or dozens of truck drivers each driving a trailer? In times of driver shortages, rail is a logical choice."

Nynke looks positively to the future: "There are still many opportunities for rail transport in Europe. It offers companies the opportunity to cut costs, reduce their CO₂ emissions and at the same time improve the reliability of their logistics chain."

With this vision, Rail Bridge Cargo remains a reliable partner for intra-European transport, combining sustainability and efficiency.