Break-even distance of rail and road container transport. Case study of Central Europe providers

In transport practice, rail transport is considered an alternative to monomodal road transport over a certain distance, which is called the break-even distance. Freight costs are often a decisive factor in the choice of freight transport mode and are therefore used as a relevant criterion for estimating the break-even distance. In the paper, the authors compare the usability of individual types of transport in intermodal freight transport, with carriers operating in the region of Central Europe, using the break-even distance. The cost principle, by means of which the break-even distances are determined, is analyzed from the point of view of the customer of transport services, i.e. the manufacturing or forwarding company.