Inland Waterway Transport Challenges and prospects

Inland waterways are a host for a mode of transport that is not as visible to the general public or as used as it once was. It is, however, generally perceived to be very important to our freight transport system today, although a closer look into the inland waterway transport system rebuts this perception and reveals the strengths and opportunities of this mode of transportation. This book gives the reader a thorough understanding of the current role of inland waterway transport as a freight transport system and its conditions. Drawing on case studies from across Europe, this text explores the economic, logistic, and technological and policy issues related to inland waterway transport and the challenges that changes in these areas present to this transport mode. It also explores the strategies for the inland waterway transport sector to secure and then enlarge its role in the future of freight transport.Inland Waterway Transport will be an invaluable source for students and researchers of transport studies. In addition, the book will be useful to policymakers and practitioners involved in its development. It may also appeal to wider readers with an interest in the fascinating business of inland waterway transport.

Chapter 1: Inland waterway transport: an overviewChapter 2: The economic performance of Inland Waterway TransportChapter 3: The role of Inland Waterway Transport in the changing logistics environmentChapter 4: Managing capacity in the inland waterway sector: to intervene or not to intervene?Chapter 5: Existing Waterway Infrastructures and Future NeedsChapter 6: Inland River PortsChapter 7: Challenging developments in inland waterway vesselsChapter 8: A New Wave for the Inland Waterways: Palletized GoodsChapter 9: Policies for inland waterway transport: Needs and perspectives

Bart Wiegmans is senior researcher at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands. He specializes in spatial and transport economics related to maritime and intermodal freight transport.Rob Konings is senior researcher at the Faculty of Architecture, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands. He is an economist specializing in spatial and transport economics.