What is multimodal transport?
Multimodal transportation refers to the use of multiple modes of transportation, utilizing the inherent economy of each mode of transportation, and providing comprehensive services at the lowest cost. This method of integrating different modes of transportation is also known as "one-stop" transportation. Early multimodal transportation was a combination of railway and highway transportation, commonly referred to as pack and carry transportation services. Nowadays, people are increasingly aware that multimodal transportation will become an important means to provide effective and efficient transportation services.

Technically speaking, coordinated or multimodal transport can be arranged between all basic modes of transportation. Some terms, such as pack back transportation, truck ferries, train ferries, and cargo planes, have become standard transportation industry jargon. For every combination of multimodal transportation, the goal is to integrate the advantages of various modes of transportation to achieve optimal performance. For example, a common multimodal transport combination is road rail intermodal transport, which combines the flexibility of cars running short distances with the low cost of railways running long distances to run longer distances.