Success factors for developing viable Motorways of the Sea projects in Europe

Motorways of the Sea (MoS) projects, that is, the development of integrated maritime-based intermodal transport infrastructure and service networks at European scale, have been the vision of the European Commission (EC) under the European Transport Policy White Paper 2001. Although these projects have been prioritised under the Trans European transport (TEN-T) networks, they have met with limited success. Establishing MoS is complex because of its international scope and involvement of a large number of public and private stakeholders that often have conflicting objectives and goals. Presently, there is a need for EC to set clear, fair and attractive conditions to engage private stakeholders in the realisation of these projects. The paper will attempt to identify these conditions and recommend a way forward. The paper reviews the evolution of the MoS concept and existing barriers in the delivery of intermodal services to understand the expectations and concerns of the important stakeholders. Case studies of European Short Sea Shipping experiences in the different maritime corridors and elsewhere around the world are analysed to identify critical success factors and recommend a suitable framework for the realisation of European MoS projects.