Gateways and intermodalism

Abstract With their massive transhipment, major seaports in Europe can generate scale economies to operate intermodal transport cost effective to numerous destinations with high frequency. In that way, the ports seem to be able to stimulate intermodal transport and open new markets beyond their traditional hinterlands. The growing container transport by rail between Rotterdam and Northern Italy illustrates this hypothesis. To use intermodalism as an instru ment for port competition, port authorities and carriers should be creative, as EU regulations on free competition are impediments to joint actions turning scale advantages of transship ment into efficient intermodal services.