Official statistics: Rail freight's upward trend continues in 2011

Berlin. According to the latest figures from the German office of statistics (Destatis), rail freight transport has overcome the economic crisis and once again captured a market share of 17.7 percent. "After the clear recovery in 2010, rail freight stayed on track and increased market share in 2011," said Dirk Flege, managing director of the German Pro-Rail Alliance. "The railway's share of the market, which dropped to 16.5 percent during the slump in 2009, has been completely recovered."

The economic crisis only temporarily halted the long-term upward trend in rail freight transport, said Flege, adding: "There is every possibility that this success story can be continued in the coming years". However, a great deal depends on the overall economic conditions. One critical success factor for ensuring the continued growth of rail freight transport is the expansion of the infrastructure. Flege pointed out that modal shift from the roads to the railways is a target in the coalition agreement drawn up by the conservative-liberal federal government. "It is up to politicians to address the issues of network congestion and the unfair competitive environment that makes life so hard for the railways," said Flege.