Within only 18 months, partners from Stockholm, Berlin, Warsaw and Upper Silesia – Zaglebie Metropolis developed tools aiming to support urban and transport planners with the development of inner-urban freight rail hubs in large metropolitan areas.
The motivation has been increasing freight traffic within the urban transport network, predominantly on roads, leading to congestions. By reviving freight-rail infrastructure for combined transport, freight should get closer to the city centres and customers, relieving urgently needed capacity on roads.
The tools developed, the UrbFrail Screening tool and the UrbFrail Development tool, have been jointly designed to identify spots potentially suitable for developing inner-urban freight rail hubs and to guide planners through different steps of the development process.