German Ministry predicts significant rail freight growth by 2040

The German Ministry of Transport presented its rail traffic forecast for 2040, showing significant optimism especially when it comes to freight. Concerning total tonnes transported, in 2040 there should be a 17.3 per cent increase compared to 2019, while the figures for tonne/km should grow by 31.2 per cent.

More specifically, total tonnes will to rise from 4.4 billion tonnes in 2019 to 5.1 by 2040, according to the forecast. For tonne/km, the number should rise from 689 billion to 905. Direct CO2 emissions from transport in Germany are also expected to significantly drop (77 per cent) by 2040. This forecast will be the empirical basis for the review of the requirement plans that the German Ministry will enforce for freight transport.

Higher growth for freight than passengers

The estimated growth for rail freight by 2040 should be higher than the one for passenger services, which is calculated in passenger journeys and passenger/km. Passenger journeys should go from 97 billion to roughly 100, with a predicted increase of 3,5 per cent. The growth in passengers/km should set at around 7.9 per cent compared to 2019 going from 1.227 billion to 1.323 billion passengers/km.

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