Modelling and assessment of European transport networks
EUROSIL, EUROpean Strategic Intermodal Links, provides a set of guidelines and the necessary criteria for selecting the most efficient transport model. Modelling and evaluation tools based on an overall Spatial Evaluation Framework are also provided. The research has focused on assessing the impact of a transport model on the area of its development. The benefits of area development, though often claimed, are not well defined, or correctly evaluated. The impact of multimodality is usually not explicitly addressed. Multimodality is the presence of more than one transport mode for a given corridor. The EUROSIL project provides full technical specifications so that, not only multimodality, but also intermodality and interoperability, can be addressed. The impact of intermodality; whether or not a given transport chain can be implemented, along with interoperability, which covers organisational issues and the assessment of possible physical, or legal barriers along the transport route, are both fundamental in determining an area's development. A structured evaluation process has been proposed that assesses the impact on area development in three stages; the evaluation criteria development process; modelling, measuring and estimating; and the actual evaluation assessment process. A pilot application of the project's framework has shown that there is room for further upgrade of the evaluation software in order to confront area development issues in the context of Trans-European (TEN) or Pan-European Networks (PEN). The project has also addressed the very important issue of how new technologies, information technology, or telematics tools can shape the future of the transport sector.
