Impacts of River / Sea Shipping on a Transport Chain

Technological innovations and infrastructures development can have significant impacts on a transport chain between an origin (O) and a destination (D). Once such innovation is river / sea shipping

• (A) A standard transport chain involving road or rail transportation and intermodalism at two maritime ports (Mp).
• (B) When possible, a transportation chain can use fluvial ports (Fp) with shipment being consolidated or broken down at maritime ports.
• (C) With river / sea shipping, it is possible to bypass maritime ports and go directly from a fluvial port to another. This is notably the case for Western Europe where a fluvial port in Germany can be linked to one in England.