Determining, introducing and recommending focused technical and logistics developments which will result in the increased economic-, management- and technical efficiency of intermodal transport to deliver trans European freight at lower cost, within a quality framework, while meeting the customers' needs.

IMPULSE will achieve this through a series of 4 complementary activities designed to :
- analyse requirements for integrated terminals and rolling stock in terms of prime elements (market forces, Trans European Network effects, transport modes, intermodal transport units and trunk haul production forms), measured against pertinent criteria including cost effectiveness, interoperability, modularity, availability and reliability.
- modify and harmonise existing advanced intermodal terminal technology in use at pilot installations to fit the results of the initial analysis and meet the requirements of the key objective.
- test the installations and demonstrate their impact on socio-economic parameters including network operation, intermodal break-even distance, value added services, human behaviour, regional transport flows and environmental conditions.
- provide additional recommendations for future implementation policy on intermodal terminals and methods to improve market penetration to all the actors (whether political or operational) involved in intermodal transport.

Although the IMPULSE project takes into consideration intermodal transport as a whole, its technical and logistical efforts are focusing on the rail aspects in connection with the other modes : ports, inland waterway and road.
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Duisburg (D), Trappes (F), Antwerp port (B), Padova (I), Aachen (D), Costamasnaga (I)
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IQ and FREIA both Integrated Transport Chains Programme; transport strategy programme : intermodality development