Seamless transport on the horizon Imagine a Europe where different modes of transport connect seamlessly, and where people and goods arrive to their destination much more efficiently. One recent EU initiative has brought us closer to such a reality. Climate Change and Environment © Thinkstock An integrated transport system must enable easy transfer between different modes of transport, i.e. it must be highly intermodal. The EU-funded project 'Specific Support Action for pan-European stakeholders and users sustaining integrated pilot technologies for increasing the efficiency of intermodal transport' (Intermode-TRANS) aimed to enhance integration for a more sustainable transport sector. The project wanted to shift congested road traffic to waterborne and rail transport by exploiting advanced trans-shipment technologies and tools. Through different workshops it brought together transport manufacturers, engineers and operators with a view to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and new EU Member States and improving on intermodal transport. Intermode-TRANS effectively established a platform for all stakeholders, bringing with it important guidelines for research and development related to intermodal technology. The project objectives involved developing advanced, standardised intermodal technology solutions and addressing incompatibility among available tools and technologies. The project also investigated the inability of different kinds of terminal technology to handle increasing transport demand, among many other challenges. It then conducted a survey to identify trends and obstacles in intermodal transport. In parallel, it laid the groundwork for future research through increased networking to support sustainable surface transport in the coming decades. All the project's results were disseminated during conferences and workshops. In the long run, the research is expected to decrease congestion and improve sustainability in the transport sector. Numerous positive effects for logistics, transport of people and the economy in Europe should emerge if these results are exploited correctly.