Challenges for Intermodal Transport in the Twenty-First Century: Reduction of Environmental Impact Due the Integration of Green Transport Modes

Abstract

Increasing of freight transport flows rises the intensity of vehicle traffic while impacting the environment. Therefore, the challenges for transportation management in the twenty-first century are not only to improve the economic performance. Cardinally reducing of air environmental pollution, especially harmful impact from vehicle internal engines, or abolishing it at all is an urgent nowadays task as well. Transport contamination is not only pollutants emitted into the air from engine exhaust pipes. Hazardous emissions are also fine particles from the road surface, which form from the wear and tear of tires or other frictional elements of vehicles and asphalt, accumulating dirt from roads spread with a mixture of salt and sand. With the development of technology, this “damaging of environment” problem can be deemphasized by developing the electric truck tractors and turning them into autonomous vehicles in the nearest future. One of the most realistic features of today’s freight transportation is more intensively to use the intermodal transport mode. Considering the conducted analysis, it was stated, that intermodal transport through road-rail interaction (synergy) by providing opportunities for the integration of electric and autonomous vehicle to reduce the transportation expenses and increase environmental sustainability. Lithuanian case of intermodal transport implementation is described. The applicability of the intermodal transport chain to electric and autonomous vehicles is proved.