11.4 Transport on inland waterways
11.4.1 Utilization of inland waterwaysThe influence of inland navigation in various countries is very varied,
depending primarily upon their geographical position and upon economic
factors. Although it is difficult to obtain accurate data owing to different
methods of registering freight on inland waterways (all freight or only that
transported by the respective country), and the difficulty of distinguishing
between coastal and inland navigation in some countries, Table 11.1 gives
at least a general overview (relating to 1992) for some countries both in
absolute (length and utilization of waterway) and relative terms when
compared with rail and road transport (Savenije, 2000).
TRANSPORT ON INLAND WATERWAYS 469
Table 11.1 Freight on inland waterways: annual throughput of shipping
Country Length of Utilization of waterways Fraction of total
waterwaysa transport capacity
(km)
Volume Output Volume Output
( 106 t year^1 )( 109 t km year^1 ) (%) (%)
Austria 358 7 1.5 1.7 1.2
Belgium 1 513 90 5.1 17.7 10.7
Bulgaria 470 1 0.8 1.0 6.0
China 107 800 312 57.0 14.4b 8.7b
Czech Republic 303 7 3.0 3.1 3.6
Finland 6 245 2 2.0b 0.4 1.4
France 5 817 71 8.6 3.6 3.4
Germany 6 291 230 57.2 18.7 19.1
Hungary 1 464 9 1.5 2.9 20.9
Italy 1 366 1 0.1 1.0b 0.4b
Netherlands 5 046 262 33.6 32.2 43.5
Poland 3 805 8 0.7 0.6 0.7
Romania 1 779 6 1.9 0.7 4.0
Russiac 34 167 233 95.2 6.3 3.1
Slovakia 422 3 0.8 1.0 6.6
Switzerland 21 9 0.1 1.7 0.3
UK 1 192 6 0.2 0.3 0.1
Ukraine 3 647 41 8.2 0.8 1.8
USA 20 573d 639 234.0b? 10.6b
a Length regularly used.
b Not available for 1992, data for 1980–83.
c (European part).
d Over 40 000 km including intracoastal (Hilling, 1999).