New TPR doctor: Katrien De Langhe

Inleiding: On 24 September 2019 Katrien De Langhe succesfully defended her PhD at the University of Antwerp, on the topic of 'What role for rail in urban freight distribution'. Many national and international institutions encourage the use of environment-friendly transport modes. Subsequently, local authorities take increasing measures to prevent negative transport-related externalities in urban areas. Hence, logistics service providers consider alternative ways to deliver goods in urban areas. Which alternative mode is appropriate depends on multiple factors, including the available transport infrastructure, the freight volume, the time of the transport, the measures taken by the authorities and the presence of congestion. This doctoral thesis focuses on urban freight distribution by rail and the conditions for a successful implementation. The potential success is studied from a financial, economic and a socio-economic perspective for a dedicated freight vehicle, a freight wagon attached to a passenger vehicle and the transport of freight alongside passengers.