"Between Q4 2025 and Q2 2026 (to 14 April), the average speed of the container vessel fleet dropped by 2.3%, from 15.58 to 15.22 knots, with the move concentrated entirely after 28 February."

"On 14 April, Alphaliner recorded an average of 15.18 knots, the lowest reading since March 2023."

"Container shipping speeds declined sharply in early 2026 as bunker prices surged, according to industry analysts Alphaliner."

"Ob von Norden nach Süden oder von Westen bis nach China: Mit unseren Ganzzug- oder Einzelwagenverkehren auf den wichtigsten Strecken Europas und Asiens finden Sie immer das richtige Angebot."

"Die Ermittlung der Emissionswerte wurde mithilfe des unabhängigen Kalkulationstools EcoTransIT World vorgenommen."

"Die Emissionsberechnung von EcoTransIT World ist mit der ISO 14083 konform."

"During the covid pandemic liner operators increased the average sailing speed by up to 4% due to strong demand and widespread port congestion. Today, the situation is very different and in the first quarter of 2023 the average sailing speed slowed to 13.8 knots, down 4% year-on-year, with BIMCO suggesting this speed could drop by 10% before 2025."

"That does not sound like much, but from a 16.5 knot global average, that is about 6% slower meaning, you need X% more tonnage to carry the same cargo volume"

"For the past couple of decades we have seen this used whenever there is either structural overcapacity or high fuel prices – or both. Presently the industry is facing both issues."

"The analysis comparing rail and sea freight in the three aspects, service, economic and environmental, concluded that rail freight has shorter transit time and generally lower environmental impact."

"It was therefore found that rail transport can be preferential to certain countries in Asia."

"There are also restrictions concerning the infrastructure for rail freight since the train can only transport goods where there are tracks and therefore destinations and routes are not flexible."

"Further, rail freight has a shorter transit time than sea freight and there are also more carriers to choose from and therefore there are more options and more available booking slots for railway than for vessel."

"Table 4.5 shows that rail has a shorter average actual transit time of 18 days for shipments from Lund and 17 days for shipments from Modena than shipments by sea freight."

"When comparing the performance of the two transportation modes it can generally be seen that rail freight has a shorter transit time compared to sea freight."

"For rail freight, it is possible to have a better established tracking system than for sea freight, since the shipment can be tracked continuously from point of origin to the final destination."

"The train can only transport goods where there are tracks and therefore destinations and routes are not flexible."

"Sea freight is generally less expensive than other transportation modes and provides an opportunity to transport goods that are both large and heavy, which are the conditions of Tetra Pak’s packaging machines. Furthermore, sea shipments do not require a specific infrastructure and it is a common transportation mode that has been used for thousands of years, which has resulted in many available ports globally."

"Provides an opportunity to transport goods that are both large and heavy."

"The tied up capital cost is higher for the sea shipments, resulting in a lower total cost for the rail shipments."

"Rail freight from Lund can be 15 days delayed and still be less expensive than sea."

"Rail freight has been less affected by the COVID-19 pandemic compared to sea freight, and no issues with availability have been experienced."

"Rail freight has a shorter transit time compared to sea freight. Further, the shipping cost for rail is higher than for sea."

"Today's largest container ship can carry about 24,000 TEUs."

"The carrying capacity of today's largest container vessels is equivalent to no less than a 44 miles long freight train."

"If you are shipping thousands of tons of goods or entire containers, rail is significantly cheaper than truck. The cost per ton-kilometer is often several times lower."

"According to the European Commission, greenhouse gas emissions from rail transport are as much as 75% lower than from road transport."

"Trains are less prone to traffic accidents and weather congestion than trucks. For clients, this means greater predictability and fewer delays."

"Railways can transport huge amounts of cargo in a single journey. One train can replace over 50 trucks."

"Unlike trucks, trains cannot go 'door to door.' Rail transport always requires additional road transport for the final stage of delivery."

"Railways only work where there is a developed network of tracks. In areas with poor infrastructure, transportation becomes impractical or impossible."

"For shorter distances, the truck is faster and more flexible. The railway requires additional time for loading, transshipment, and coordination."

"Goods that are sensitive to fast delivery, perishable goods, or small shipments are not ideal for rail transport."

"In rail transport, track gauge is the distance between the two rails of a railway track. All vehicles on a rail network must have wheelsets that are compatible with the track gauge. Since many different track gauges exist worldwide, gauge differences often present a barrier to wider operation on railway networks."

"In modern usage, the term 'standard gauge' refers to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in). The standard gauge is dominant in most countries, including those in North America, most of Western Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and China."

"Broad gauge is the dominant gauge in countries in the Indian subcontinent, the former Soviet Union (CIS states, Baltic states, Georgia, and Ukraine), Mongolia, Finland (which still uses the original Russian imperial gauge of 1524mm), Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Chile, and Ireland."

"Through operation between railway networks with different gauges was originally impossible; goods had to be transshipped, and passengers had to change trains. This was obviously a major obstacle to convenient transport."

"When interchangeability has not been achieved, freight and passengers must be transferred through time-consuming procedures requiring manual labor and substantial capital expenditure."

"A 750-metre long container train can carry around 100 TEU, or 90 TEU with a 90% load factor."

"A two-way volume of an additional 3 million TEU shifted to rail from maritime and air transport would therefore require around 50-60 trains each way per day."

"The maximum transport capacity of freight trains in Germany is 96 TEU."

"Auch in Europa entfällt das eindeutige Gros bei der Landfracht auf die Straße. 2021 wurden in den 27 EU-Staaten 13,65 Milliarden Tonnen transportiert. Die letzten Zahlen für die Schiene stammen aus dem Jahr 2016, als in der EU mit damals noch 28 Staaten (mit Großbritannien) rund 1,7 Milliarden Tonnen Güter auf der Schiene und 14,25 Milliarden Tonnen auf der Straße anfielen. In der Binnenschifffahrt waren es 2016 (EU 28) knapp 547.538 Tonnen und 2021 (EU 27) 522.216 Tonnen. Im Jahr 2016 (EU 28) lag der Anteil am Güterverkehr der Schiene bei unter 15 Prozent und derjenige der Straße bei rund 80 Prozent."

"Die Anteile der zwei Hauptverkehrsträger am gesamten Frachtaufkommen betrugen 2021 in Deutschland 72,2 Prozent für die Straßenfracht und 18,7 Prozent für die Schienenfracht. 6,9 Prozent war der Anteil der Binnenschifffahrt."

"In den letzten 20 Jahren ist der Anteil der Schiene am Güterverkehr in Deutschland um insgesamt nur 2,5 Prozent angewachsen. Seit fünf Jahren kommt es sogar zu einer Stagnation, bei der sich der Schienenanteil um die 19-Prozent-Marke einpendelt. Wie im globalen oder europäischen Maßstab ist vor allem die nicht ausreichende Infrastruktur der hauptsächliche Hemmschuh für die – politisch gewollte – Steigerung des Marktanteils des Schienengüterverkehrs."

"Most terminals fall in the size range of 10,000–150,000 m², with handling capacities typically between 500 and 2,500 TEUs."

"The average terminal area is 68,916 m², while the median stands at 35,000 m²."

"Ein einziger Güterzug mit 740 Metern Länge kann dabei rund 52 Lkw ersetzen."

"One participant noted, for example, that the average cost per ton-kilometer was 8 to 10 cents for trucks, 3 to 6 cents for rail, and 1 cent for water."

"Coastal shipping is recognized as more efficient than other modes (one unit of horsepower can move 330 pounds, or 150 kilograms, of freight by truck, 733 pounds, or 333 kilograms by railroad, and 8,800 pounds, or 4,000 kilograms, by coastal shipping)."

"The cost of moving a TEU by ship through the canal is about $90, while handling the TEU by rail, which includes transfer activities at both ports, raises the cost to about $270."

"Brazilian railroads have had little increase in container traffic, even though the country's major ports have made substantial investments in container facilities. One reason is the cost structure for moving containers by rail, which is double that for comparable rail container movement in the United States or Europe."

"Transportation energy within LCA encompasses both logistics during manufacturing and distribution to end users. Energy intensity varies by three orders of magnitude across transport modes: ocean freight (0.01-0.02 MJ per ton-kilometer), rail (0.05-0.15 MJ/t-km), truck (0.6-1.5 MJ/t-km), and air freight (6-12 MJ/t-km)."

"Shipping accounts for more than 80 percent of world trade by volume, making it a key indicator of the health of the global economy."

"More than 70 percent of this record trade by value remains tied to seaborne routes."

"Industry typically uses figures between a lower and upper bound 12 - 18 tonnes per TEU. The average container weight is typically set at 13 tonnes per TEU."

"The average container weight is typically set at 13 tonnes per TEU."

"Deadweight tonnage is the difference between a vessel’s loaded displacement and its lightship weight. It represents the maximum weight the ship can carry — not the weight of the ship itself. A vessel with 200,000 DWT can carry 200,000 tonnes of combined cargo, fuel, ballast water, fresh water, stores, and crew."