In the second quarter of this year, the decrease in the volumes of goods handled by transport services combined in Europe. This was announced today by Ralf-Charley Schultze, president of UIRR, the association that represents this sector in Brussels, specifying that in the period April-June 2023 the bending was -14.41% compared to the same period of last year, reduction - it has highlighted - which is comparable to the historical decline of -14.67% suffered during the second quarter of 2020 when the strictest were implemented lockdown to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Schultze pointed out that this is the third quarter consecutive negative growth for European combined transport.

The president of the UIRR has specified that it also remains on the "negative" means the index defined by the association for reflect the sentiment of companies in the sector about the evolution of the market in the next 12 months. Schultze explained that the poor prospects for European combined transport are attributable to the European economy that is going through a difficult period characterized by high inflation, a weakening of the consumer confidence, from the end of the availability of abundant and cheap energy and numerous negative elements which weigh on transcontinental trade, while, at the same time, the competitiveness of combined transport in terms of costs is deteriorating due to the increase in access to tracks and high electricity prices of traction, costs that compete with those of road transport that recorded unchanged motorway toll prices and a fall in diesel prices.

Specifying that the forecasts are of an economic transition which will last at least until the end of 2024, Schultze has stressed the need for measures taken to support the combined transport sector, such as the reduction of access rights to train paths or tariff limits for traction electricity. Could be useful - added the president of the UIRR - also the timely implementation of European legislation adopted in the in recent years, such as the Mobility Package or the amendment to the Eurovignette Directive.