Modal split

Modal split is the share of total freight (or passenger) traffic carried by each transport mode, road, rail, inland waterway, sea, and air, usually measured in tonne-kilometers or volume. It shows how a corridor or country distributes its freight and is a core metric for transport policy aimed at shifting volume from road to rail and water for lower emissions and congestion. The split shapes intermodal terminal and dry-port investment, since rail and barge gains require transfer capacity. A shipper’s own modal split balances cost, transit time, reliability, and carbon footprint across its lanes.