50-Years Inland Waterway Freight Data in the Rhine-Alpine Corridor

TL;DR

This paper provides a 50-year dataset of inland waterway freight in the Rhine-Alpine Corridor to help promote sustainable transport.

Contribution

The novel contribution is a harmonized 50-year dataset of IWT freight data in Europe using multiple nomenclatures.

Findings

The dataset includes transport volumes and performance from 1970–2023.

Imputation and OCR techniques ensured data continuity and completeness.

The dataset supports research and policy on sustainable freight transport.

Abstract

To support a modal shift toward sustainable freight solutions, such as inland waterway transport (IWT), researchers and practitioners require long-term historical data on IWT freight flows. However, such comprehensive time series have been unavailable until now. This study addresses this gap by presenting a harmonized dataset encompassing 50 years (1970–2023) of IWT freight data across Europe, with a focus on the Rhine-Alpine Corridor. The dataset includes transport volumes (in tonnes) and transport performance (in ton-kilometers), classified according to NST-R, NST2007, and CCR nomenclatures. To ensure data continuity and completeness, processing techniques—including imputation and optical character recognition—were applied. The dataset offers valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and transport planners aiming to comprehend and enhance the role of IWT in Europe’s freight transport landscape.

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