CORDIS launches new Home Page for Transport Intermodality Task Force

CORDIS, the European Community's Research and Development Information Service, has launched a new World Wide Web Home Page dedicated to the Transport Intermodality Task Force. The Transport Intermodality Task Force was set up by the Commission in 1995, along with seven others...

CORDIS, the European Community's Research and Development Information Service, has launched a new World Wide Web Home Page dedicated to the Transport Intermodality Task Force.

The Transport Intermodality Task Force was set up by the Commission in 1995, along with seven others, in order to improve coordination and focus research on priority areas in the field of transport intermodality. In particular, it aimed to increase cooperation among the different Commission Units which manage research activities in the field of transport intermodality.

The Task Force drew up an inventory of projects currently under way or completed, including all projects at EU level, and a number at national level. Following this, the Commission consulted widely amongst technical experts in the field, in order to establish priority areas to focus R&D in the sector. Six priorities were identified in a report published in September 1996:

- Intermodal Freight Terminal 2000+;
- Intermodal Freight Network 200+;
- Transport Town 2000+;
- Intermodal Traveller 2000+;
- Passenger Interchange 2000+;
- Research studies and support activities.

As part of its efforts to create synergies between projects, the Task Force has identified 52 on-going RTD projects in various research programmes, which fall into the priority sectors. A general clustering meeting was held in March 1997, and informal groupings in specific fields have met regularly.

Also as a result of the work of the Task Force, the Commission adopted a communication on intermodal freight transport in May 1997. This policy document advocates an intermodal transport system which encourages cooperation between transport modes and favours competition between operators. It contains an action plan to develop efficient and customer-oriented integrated transport systems.

In the wake of agreement on the financial supplement to the Fourth Framework Programme, which is yet to be finalized, the Task Force hopes to launch a call for proposals in the next few months. This call will be for RTD projects which demonstrate the competitiveness and attractiveness of intermodal freight and passenger transport. Five tasks are likely to be covered by the call:

- Demonstration of attractiveness and competitiveness of intermodal freight transport on short and medium distances;
- Demonstration of new concepts for the distribution of goods in metropolitan areas at pre-end end-phases of an intermodal transport leg;
- Demonstration of new concepts and technologies for improving inter-urban intermodal passenger transport in a door-to-door chain;
- Demonstration of new concepts and technologies for improving intermodal passenger transport within urban centres;
- Horizontal and supportive tasks to promote functional integration and service interoperability between transport modes.

The Home Page includes up-to-date information on all aspects of the Task Force's work. Also included are copies of the Task Force's reports, detailed information on projects underway in the sector, and contact details for obtaining further information.