Getting Ready for Growth in Intermodal and Container Sector
Posted 04/01/08
This fall a new Foundation study will debut, “The Next Generation of Intermodal Transport Terminals: An Analysis of Financing Models,” which will explore financing models for the next generation of intermodal transportation terminals, particularly for intermodal equipment in port and rail facilities. A new wave of investments in intermodal transportation is currently underway, as the North American freight transport system buckles under the weight of the last two decades’ growth in containerized traffic and global trade. Many intermodal terminals such as ports and rail facilities are facing serious limits in their practices.
In addition to supporting exiting systems, intermodal transportation also will require investments in new locations along the supply chain to improve its overall throughput and efficiency, namely through satellite terminals and freight distribution clusters. These new terminals and the additional capacity will also require the financing of intermodal equipment servicing their operations. The new research study will assess the financing models related to the next generation of intermodal terminals equipment with a particular emphasis on the feasibility of public-private partnerships.The study also will explore the potential risks and specific needs for investments in intermodal transportation and how to articulate investment strategies. Additionally, included in the study will be:- an overview of the current North American intermodal transportation system, how it operates and what are its major freight distribution constraints,
- an assessment of the intermodal infrastructure development needs in order to help financing companies evaluate potential equipment needs, identify opportunities and relate them to their specific sectors, and
- a section on identifying appropriate financing models such as concession agreements, management contracts and equipment leases to help readers assess which financing model(s) better fits their strategic and operational constraints.
Jean-Paul Rodrigue, Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics & Geography at Hofstra University, and Anthony B. Hatch, an independent transportation analyst and consultant, are currently working on the study. Mr. Rodrigue is an internationally known academic focusing on transportation, freight distribution and trade issues, particularly in North America and Pacific Asia. Mr. Hatch has been a senior transportation analyst on Wall Street for more than twenty years, at businesses including Salomon Brothers, Argus, PaineWebber, and NatWest Markets (USA). Watch future Foundation Forecasts or visit the Foundation online store for updates on this study. Donors may download the study at no charge; nondonors may access the study for a fee of $200.
For more information on additional research underway visit the “work with us section” at leasefoundation.org
Sites of Reference:
http://www.store.leasefoundation.org/
