The future of intermodal freight transport within the province of New Brunswick

The research reported in this thesis had the objective of providing an analysis of future growth of intermodal transport within the province of New Brunswick. The thesis is an extension of the study conducted by the author for the Transportation Group of the University of New Brunswick under contract for the New Brunswick Department of Transportation. The study collected and assembled data to provide a database on intermodal movements by each mode. As the data collected for the above study only consisted of 1998 traffic levels, an analysis of future traffic flows was not possible within the scope of the study.;The additional work for preparation of this thesis had the objective to estimate future growth levels of intermodal freight transport by all modes within the Province of New Brunswick. To estimate the future growth, recent trends need to be examined to provide a short term forecast. The approach used involved a review of the history of intermodal traffic levels from available data sources for all modes and provided an estimate of the current growth trend. Since there is no suitable database of traffic movements at a provincial level, the economic growth for the Province of New Brunswick will be compared to that of Canada to develop an estimate of the potential for growth. Additional data for other regions will also be examined as there are intermodal movements through New Brunswick. The study also examined recent, current and future events that have and will impact intermodal transport. These events will shape the way intermodal flows will occur, both on an international/national scale and at a provincial level.