Higher loading gauges on the railway can be introduced comparatively easily and give better coordination between transportation modes and higher capacity for many loads, including consumer and forest products. For many commodities, volume (rather than mass) limits how much can be loaded into today’s vehicles and load units. On the highways in Europe a vehicle height of 4.5 m or taller is permitted in five nations – Norway, Sweden, France, the United Kingdom and Ireland – which contributes to high capacity and efficiency in transportation. The nations in between, however, only permit up to 4.0 m height on the highways, which prevents through traffic with tall vehicles between France and Scandinavia. On the railways the maximum vehicle height in much of Europe is presently 4.65 m, but there is sufficient margin to normal overhead line height to permit 4.9 m or even taller vehicle height between Scandinavia and England via France. A new intermodal gauge, P/C 450 (2.60 m4.83 m), enables: - 4.5 m high semitrailers on standard intermodal pocket wagons loaded by lifting (lo-lo) - 4.0 m high semitrailers on flat wagons loaded across a ramp (ro-ro) - 1.15 m high lumber packages stacked three high (+50 %) instead of two high. With ro-ro loading instead of lifting the majority of the existing semitrailer and swap bodies, even without reinforcements, can be handled in intermodal transportation. The new intermodal gauge P/C 450 was introduced in 2011 on the Øresund bridge and already fits in the Eurotunnel between France and England and on some lines in Sweden. Introduction of this gauge is proposed for an integral corridor between Norway, Sweden, northern France and England. Due to its narrow width this new intermodal gauge avoids many obstacles, and can thus be introduced comparatively easily. Surveying a pilot route from a major sawmill to its shipping port revealed zero stopping obstacles. With minor additional enlargement of the loading gauge through Belgium and northern France, a route would be opened to London for the most common European loading gauge, G2. Intermodal coordination, intermodal development and wagonload development are described.

1. Transportforum 2012-01-11 Session 34: Fran-Scan hi-cube intermodal corridor Britain – France –
Scandinavia
Higher loading gauges on the railway can be introduced comparatively easily and give better
coordination between transportation modes and higher capacity for many loads, including consumer and
forest products.
For many commodities, volume (rather than mass) limits how much can be loaded into today’s vehicles
and load units. On the highways in Europe a vehicle height of 4.5 m or taller is permitted in five nations
– Norway, Sweden, France, the United Kingdom and Ireland – which contributes to high capacity and
efficiency in transportation. The nations in between, however, only permit up to 4.0 m height on the
highways, which prevents through traffic with tall vehicles between France and Scandinavia. On the
railways the maximum vehicle height in much of Europe is presently 4.65 m, but there is sufficient
margin to normal overhead line height to permit 4.9 m or even taller vehicle height between Scandinavia
and England via France. A new intermodal gauge, P/C 450 (2.60 m 4.83 m), enables:
- 4.5 m high semitrailers on standard intermodal pocket wagons loaded by lifting (lo-lo)
- 4.0 m high semitrailers on flat wagons loaded across a ramp (ro-ro)
- 1.15 m high lumber packages stacked three high (+50 %) instead of two high.
With ro-ro loading instead of lifting the majority of the existing semitrailer and swap bodies, even
without reinforcements, can be handled in intermodal transportation.
The new intermodal gauge P/C 450 was introduced in 2011 on the Øresund bridge and already fits in the
Eurotunnel between France and England and on some lines in Sweden. Introduction of this gauge is
proposed for an integral corridor between Norway, Sweden, northern France and England. Due to its
narrow width this new intermodal gauge avoids many obstacles, and can thus be introduced
comparatively easily. Surveying a pilot route from a major sawmill to its shipping port revealed zero
stopping obstacles. With minor additional enlargement of the loading gauge through Belgium and
northern France, a route would be opened to London for the most common European loading gauge, G2.
Intermodal coordination, intermodal development and wagonload development are described.
END
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2. Transportforum 2012-01-11 Session 34: Fran-Scan intermodal korridor för stor volym Storbritannien –
Frankrike – Skandinavien
Högre lastprofiler på järnvägen kan införas jämförelsevis enkelt och skulle ge bättre koordination mellan
transportslagen och högre kapacitet för många laster, inklusive konsumentvaror och skogsprodukter.
För många godsslag är volymen (snarare än massan) begränsande för hur mycket som kan lastas i dagens
fordon och lastbärare. På vägarna tillåts i Europa fordonshöjd 4,5 m eller mer i fem nationer – Norge,
Sverige, Frankrike, Storbritannien och Irland – vilket bidrar till en hög transportkapacitet och effektivitet.
Mellanliggande nationer tillåter dock högst 4,0 m höjd på vägarna, vilket förhindrar genomgående trafik
med höga fordon mellan Frankrike och Skandinavien. På järnvägarna är maximal fordonshöjd f.n. 4,65 m
i stora delar av Europa, men till normal kontaktledningshöjd finns tillräcklig marginal för att införa 4,9 m
eller t.o.m. större fordonshöjd mellan Skandinavien och England via Frankrike. En ny kombiprofil, P/C
450 (2,60 m 4,83 m), möjliggör:
- 4,5 m höga semitrailrar på standard kombivagnar med ficka lastade med lyft (lo-lo)
- 4,0 m höga semitrailrar på flatvagnar lastade via ramp (ro-ro)
- 1,15 m höga virkespaket staplade tre högt (+50 %) i stället för två högt.
Med ro-ro-lastning i stället för lyft kan flertalet förekommande semitrailrar och växelflak, även utan
förstärkningar, hanteras i kombitrafik.
Den nya kombiprofilen P/C 450 infördes 2011 över Øresundsbron och ryms redan tidigare i Eurotunnel
mellan Frankrike och England samt på vissa banor i Sverige. Profilen föreslås införas i ett
sammanhängande stråk mellan Norge, Sverige, norra Frankrike och England. Genom sin smala bredd
undviker den nya kombiprofilen många hinder, och kan därför införas jämförelsevis lätt. Kartläggning av
en inledande rutt från ett större sågverk till dess utskeppningshamn visade noll stoppande hinder. Med
mindre ytterligare utvidgning av lastprofilen genom Belgien och norra Frankrike skulle en rutt öppnas till
London för den mest förekommande europeiska lastprofilen, G2.
Intermodal samordning, intermodal utveckling och utveckling av vagnslaster beskrivs.
SLUT
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