
ship to dockside to ship), the purpose is to ensure continuity within the same modal network. Although “pure” transmodal transportation rarely exists and an intermodal operation is often required (e.g.

The movements of passengers or freight within the same mode of transportation.

Technically the same as intermodal transportation, but represents an evolution requiring a higher level of integration between the actors involved such as carriers and terminal operators. The movements of passengers or freight from an origin to a destination relying on several modes of transportation using one ticket (passengers) or contract (freight). The term has become more commonly used for freight and container transportation across a sequence of modes. In North America, the term intermodal is also used to refer to containerized rail transportation. Therefore, intermodal transportation refers to an exchange of passengers or freight between two transportation modes. Transfers from one mode of transport to another are commonly taking place at a specifically designed terminal.

Each carrier is issuing its own ticket (passengers) or contract (freight). The movements of passengers or freight from an origin to a destination relying on several modes of transportation. From a functional and operational perspective, three components are involved in intermodalism: Since the 1960s, major efforts have been made to integrate separate transport systems through intermodalism, which took place in several stages, first with the setting of maritime networks, which then better connected with inland networks. Modalism was also favored because of the technical difficulties of transferring goods from one mode to another, thereby incurring additional terminal costs and delays, mainly because the load unit needed to be changed, which is typical for bulk transportation. The lack of integration between the modes was also accentuated by public policy that has frequently prevented companies from owning firms in other modes (as in the United States before deregulation) or has placed a mode under direct state monopoly control (as in Europe and East Asia). All the modes saw the other modes as competitors and were viewed with suspicion and mistrust, often because under a different regulatory regime and competitive rules.

Carriers try to gain market share and increase revenue by maximizing the line-haul under their control. Each mode, particularly the carriers that operated them, has sought to exploit its advantages in cost, service, reliability, and safety. The Nature of IntermodalismĬompetition between modes has tended to produce transportation systems that were segmented and un-integrated in their own “silos”. The container has become the dominant intermodal transport unit. Intermodal transportation concerns the movements of passengers or freight from an origin to a destination relying on several modes of transportation.
