European freight transport is on the verge of a major breakthrough with the proposed +FIRRST (Fast Integrated Rail-Road System of Transport) solution, designed to address the longstanding challenge that rail freight has maintained only an 18% share of EU land transport for over 15 years. This innovative “Mobility as a Service” system offers shippers an integrated combined transport solution that matches the flexibility of road transport while delivering the sustainability and cost benefits of rail. By utilizing intelligent freight trains with multipurpose wagons capable of carrying truck semi-trailers, swap-bodies, and containers on fixed 740-meter compositions, +FIRRST promises to revolutionize how goods move across Europe’s backbone network.
For shippers and cargo owners, +FIRRST delivers unprecedented operational advantages through its real-time rolling planning system that provides complete flexibility in route planning just three hours before departure. The system offers three types of services: point-to-point trains for high-volume routes, scheduled stops at intermediate terminals (Sai trains), and emergency stop-on-request services (Sor trains) for urgent deliveries. With full traceability from origin to destination, paperless digitalization, guaranteed estimated arrival times, and the ability to add intermediate destinations even during transit, +FIRRST addresses the key pain points that have historically made rail freight less attractive than road transport for time-sensitive and flexible shipping requirements.
The economic and environmental benefits are equally compelling, with +FIRRST offering marginal transport costs as low as €0.01-0.02 per tonne-kilometer compared to road transport’s €0.06-0.12 range, while significantly reducing CO2 emissions and dangerous gas footprints. The pilot test route connecting Rotterdam/Duisburg through Paris to Barcelona will cover the western side of the EU’s “golden triangle,” with the potential to capture 55-67% of daily freight demand in the region. For shippers looking to meet sustainability targets while maintaining operational efficiency and cost control, +FIRRST represents a game-changing opportunity to future-proof their logistics operations in an increasingly environmentally conscious marketplace.