Europe Combined Transport Volumes Dip 1.23% in Q3
Combined transport volumes across Europe fell year over year in the third quarter of 2026, with UIRR members expecting a negative business climate through September 2027.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Transportation
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Combined transport volumes in Europe fell 1.23% in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier. The decline follows a 4.92% drop in the first quarter and a modest 0.29% gain in the second quarter.
Why it matters
Closed rail corridors and weak economic activity have pushed shippers back toward road transport, undercutting intermodal growth. UIRR members now expect a negative business climate for the next 12 months.
Combined transport volumes fell 1.23% in Q3 2026 after a 4.92% first-quarter drop and a 0.29% second-quarter gain. Track access charges in Germany are set to rise around 12% in 2027, with projections of an 85% jump for very heavy trains in 2028.
The players
Deutsche Bahn
Germany's national rail company, which operates the rail network and has acknowledged problems with its Generalsanierung corridor renovation programme.
UIRR
The International Union for Road-Rail Combined Transport, an industry association whose members rated the outlook for combined transport as negative.
BASF
The German chemicals company that has started a more than €100 million expansion of its KTL terminal in Ludwigshafen, due for completion in 2028.
The details
Germany's corridors are running at minimum capacity, and extremely low Rhine water levels have disrupted both terminals and barges. Growth in the second quarter came mainly from France, Poland and the Baltic states, while Germany and Italy held back the overall result. Deutsche Bahn has acknowledged its Generalsanierung corridor renovation programme was either too ambitious or not properly thought through.
Timeline
First quarter 2026: combined transport consignments fell 4.92% amid closed lines.
Second quarter 2026: combined transport volumes rose 0.29%, led by France.
October 2, 2026: works began on the Hannover-Berlin corridor.
Third quarter 2026: combined transport volumes fell 1.23% year over year.
December 2027: the original Hannover-Berlin alternative line is expected to be electrified.
Market Landscape
Deutsche Bahn's Generalsanierung renovation programme has closed key German corridors, forcing intermodal trains onto inadequate bypass routes. The result is a shift of freight back to road as trucking capacity loosened under weak economic conditions.
Shippers relying on intermodal rail may face less reliable schedules while German corridors remain constrained. Rising track access charges could eventually push up freight costs for businesses that depend on rail.
The takeaway
Freight planners should expect continued disruption on German rail corridors and build contingency road capacity into their plans. Monitoring track access charge changes will matter for future logistics budgets.
What happens next
Track access charges in Germany are scheduled to rise around 12% in 2027, and the BASF KTL terminal expansion is due for completion in 2028.
Further reading
For broader context on freight movement and rail capacity, explore our Transportation coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by RailFreight.
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