"Bridging Road and Rail": Marc Hunziker on Unlocking Europe’s Intermodal Potential

Marc Hunziker, founder of INTERMODALIST GmbH, sees rail freight as today’s solution, not just tomorrow’s promise. In this exclusive interview with RAILTARGET, he explains why connecting people, technology, and courage drives the modal shift now.

At the very outset of our conversation, Hunziker noted: "We are currently facing the challenge of a generally uncertain geopolitical situation. This makes reliable forecasting difficult at the moment. Nevertheless, I believe it is precisely in such times that Europe must work together – politics and business alike – to build a truly sustainable supply chain. It requires all players and the collective will to drive real change.” You describe Intermodalist as working “at the intersection of people, cargo, and climate."

Could you share what inspired you to found the company and what its core mission is?

For me, collaboration is the foundation of intermodal success. Rail freight is by nature a team sport — it lives from combining different modes, operators, and skill sets. Very few companies can cover the entire supply chain independently, and those who can are often so complexly structured that efficiency suffers.

That’s why I founded Intermodalist: to connect the right people, terminals, and technologies so that we can make modal shift happen in real terms. My mission is to simplify access to intermodal networks, open the gates to terminals, and build bridges between road and rail in a way that is practical, operational, and results-driven.

I prefer less talk and more courageous implementation — projects should be orchestrated with the big picture in mind. If we can link the strengths of road and rail, we give sustainable transport logistics a real chance. As a father of four kids, I see this not just as a business but as a responsibility to the next generation.

With 20+ years in intermodal logistics, what do you consider the most effective levers today for accelerating the shift from road to rail?

Two key levers stand out, the first being opening up the rail network to the market. In Europe, most continental freight moves in trailers, not containers — and these trailers can go on to rail. While it’s often more operationally demanding for terminals and operators, this is the cargo the market is already using. Forcing the market into containerized solutions may be easier for the rail side, but it’s less efficient for shippers. We must work with the reality of today’s equipment.

The second lever is making the process simple for the customer. From booking to final delivery, shippers should feel the same ease they get from pure road transport, while enjoying the benefits of reduced CO₂ and higher efficiency. That means interoperable services, harmonized standards, and a focus on reliability.

The transition to more sustainable freight transport is not just about cutting CO₂ – it’s about transforming the entire logistics footprint. Shifting freight to rail can reduce emissions by up to 95%, while long-haul diesel trucking produces around 63% more CO₂. Even electric trucks become viable at a daily range of 150 km. Combined transport also brings benefits such as more attractive regional driving jobs and reduced fine dust and microplastics, thanks to lower tyre wear. As Intermodalist, I see these challenges not as obstacles but as opportunities — whether through new shift-to-rail projects, supporting partners, or shaping innovative solutions together.

In your work with clients, you focus on practical rail solutions—from reefer wagons to modal shift instruments. Can you tell us about a recent project or achievement that you're particularly proud of?

I’ve worked with forward-thinking companies such as Vegatrans from Salzburg, where r2L technology enabled shifting standard road trailers onto rail. Another project with a Greek operator focused on customised maintenance to boost fleet availability. In both cases, technology and AI play a role, but the decisive factor was people — individuals with conviction and the will to make rail work. That human drive is irreplaceable in logistics.

Many in the sector talk about rail as the future, but you say it’s already the solution we have. What’s holding us back from making it truly mainstream?

The main barriers are perceived economic risk and the willingness to act now. Too many wait for the "perfect" solution or standardized systems, while the tools to cut CO₂ today already exist.

Everything we do now will be felt by the next generation — so the time for action is not 2030, it’s today. We need companies prepared to implement available innovations, even if they require some operational adaptation. Waiting for convenience is not a strategy; using what works now is.

What are your views on building new rail freight corridors and unlocking growth in complex markets, especially in Central and Eastern Europe?

Freight flows will always shift with markets, but there is untapped potential in corridors that still rely heavily on short sea routes today. Turkey, Greece, the UK, Spain, and Portugal are examples. Here, we should focus on bundling volumes and developing long-distance rail solutions that save CO₂ and energy.

Central and Eastern Europe also offer growth opportunities, but we need better integration between local infrastructure and wider European corridors. It means investment in terminals, harmonized operating procedures, and political will to remove bottlenecks.

Finally, what would you like to see more of in industry media, and how can platforms like RAILTARGET contribute to driving the message forward?

We need a stronger lobby for modal shift—and media play a key role in showing industry leaders that proven solutions already exist. Too much attention goes to future concepts, while practical, deployable systems are available right now.

For example, over 80% of European continental cargo still moves by road in non-craneable trailers, while more than 4 million such trailers operate in the EU. Moveover, r2L technology makes 99.5% of these trailers rail-compatible, enabling up to 1 ton of CO₂ savings per trailer per 1,000 km.

Containers are not always a practical alternative for continental flows due to restrictions in dimensions, payload (Editor’s note: meaning the total weight that can be carried, including the container's empty weight and its chassis), and side-loading. And while some point to track gauge as a barrier, r2L operates successfully in Spain, Eastern Europe, and anywhere with pocket wagon infrastructure (Editor’s note: pocket wagons are specialized rail wagons with a recessed area to safely carry semitrailers).