GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jun 26, 2026

Unaccompanied combined transport

Unaccompanied combined transport is a rail-road intermodal service in which lorry trailers, swap bodies, or containers travel by train without a driver aboard.

Quick Answer

Last updated: 26 June 2026Published: 27 January 2026

Source: https://www.kombiverkehr.de

Category

Logistics concept

Reading time

1 min

Words

122

Mentioned in

–

Definition & Explanation

Unaccompanied combined transport is a rail-road intermodal service in which lorry trailers, swap bodies, or containers travel by train without a driver aboard. The carrier drops the loading unit at a departure terminal; the train handles the main haul; a traction unit collects the unit at the destination terminal for last-mile road delivery. No driver accompanies the rail leg, which is the key distinction from accompanied transport (the Rolling Road, or Rollende Landstrasse), where the complete lorry and driver ride the train together. The unaccompanied model cuts staffing costs, sidesteps drivers' hours regulations for the rail portion, and reduces motorway congestion. Major European intermodal terminals—Basel, Duisburg, Hamburg, Chiasso—serve as hubs for daily unaccompanied services operated by logistics companies and combined transport operators.