EU Rail Associations Scramble to Save Combined Transport Directive

Why It Matters

The CTD is a cornerstone for the EU’s modal‑shift strategy, linking rail competitiveness to climate and supply‑chain resilience; its loss would delay critical emissions‑reduction targets. Preserving the directive, even in a trimmed form, safeguards the policy framework needed for rail‑centric freight growth.

Key Takeaways

• Six rail bodies urge EU to keep Combined Transport Directive.
• They propose retaining 1992 definition, review after five years.
• Directive aims to grant truck exemptions only where rail alternatives exist.
• Q1 2026 combined transport consignments fell 4.92% across Europe.
• Abandoning the directive risks weakening EU modal‑shift and resilience targets.

Pulse Analysis

The Combined Transport Directive, first adopted in 1992, was designed to promote rail‑based freight by allowing trucks to operate only as the first or last mile of a multimodal journey. EU policymakers view the rule as a lever to shift cargo from congested highways to greener rail corridors, supporting the bloc’s 2030 emissions targets and the European Green Deal. Over the past decade, incremental updates have been discussed, but a comprehensive revision stalled, leaving the sector vulnerable to regulatory uncertainty.

In June, six leading rail associations issued a joint letter demanding that the European Commission abandon only the contested definition of combined transport, not the entire legislative package. Their compromise suggests keeping the 1992 wording while mandating a targeted review after five years, and it calls for strict truck‑exemption criteria that prioritize genuine rail alternatives. By decoupling the definition from the broader measures—such as infrastructure investment incentives and streamlined cross‑border procedures—the associations aim to preserve the policy momentum needed to modernise rail freight networks and attract private capital.

The stakes are underscored by recent market data: UIRR reported a 4.92% drop in combined‑transport consignments in the first quarter of 2026, a decline linked to extensive engineering blockades on Germany’s rail network. Continued erosion of intermodal volumes could weaken the EU’s resilience goals, increase road congestion, and raise logistics costs. Keeping the CTD alive, even in a reduced form, offers a pragmatic path to reinvigorate rail freight, protect climate commitments, and ensure a more balanced European transport ecosystem.