Donal Hickey: How we roll — road freight increase
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An increasing number of trucks on Irish roads is in line with European trends, despite policies calling for more sustainable forms of transport and the reduction of emissions.
On a day last week, a random 30-minute count of so-called heavy goods vehicles going one direction on the road from Macroom to the Cork South Ring amounted to 41.
In last five years, road freight transport here has grown by an average of 3.5% annually. In 2022, more than half of all freight in the EU was moved by road, with the total volume rising by two-thirds since 1995.
A general, hindsight opinion is that tearing up several railway lines here in mid-20th century was a mistake — just 0.7% of freight is now carried by rail.
While the EU is making some progress in tackling climate changes issues, reductions in gas emissions from transport are relatively stagnant, according to a report by the European Environment Agency.
The transport sector’s transition towards sustainability is hampered by the rising transport demands and sluggish growth in sustainable ways of moving both people and freight, like electric vehicles.
Both passenger and freight transport are expected to grow in the EU, with road usage maintaining its dominant position for the foreseeable future.
Transport remains a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution and noise, underlining the need for more action on that front.
Countries across Europe, aware that rail can help with sustainable transport, have been growing their rail network. However, our former, well-developed rail freight system went into decline as roads improved.
Our latest Rail Freight 2040 strategy has been designed to support ambitious EU aims — basically to reduce the impact of transport systems on the environment.
Irish Rail chief executive, Jim Meade, says rail freight has a unique opportunity to become a "cornerstone of sustainable freight transportation in Ireland" and contribute to the achievement of these targets.
Finally, America has long since been a leader in rail freight movement, with huge trains trundling from city to city, across plains and prairies.
I remember once being delayed for what seemed like an age at a level crossing, somewhere west of Chicago, as one of these mile-long trains passed. And they are getting longer. In Arizona, for instance, some stretch for over three and a half miles, with 500-plus containers!
Union Pacific Railroad, much of which was built by Irish labour in the second half of the 19th century, says rail is up to four times more fuel-efficient than road transport, claiming that one tonne of freight can be moved 500 miles by train on a gallon of diesel.