A better integration of transport modes contributes to a more efficient transport system. The current status in Europe is heterogeneous - to travel across Europe on a single ticket and door-to-door information is a splendid vision. To align co-operation with competition is a big challenge.

The LINK Forum wants to bring the stakeholders together to overcome market and policy fragmentation. The project's objectives are to foster the integration of passenger intermodality policies and facilitate co-operation for intermodal solutions.

Exchange, knowledge transfer and promotion are the three tasks to be tackled:

1. Exchange: to build up a European network for intermodal passenger transport to exchange experience and work on better (trans-national) solutions

2. Transfer: to set up a knowledge centre for intermodal passenger transport which structures research, defines research questions, formulates policy recommendations and disseminates information

3. Promotion: to promote passenger intermodality across Europe, mobilise political support, activate stakeholders and eventually develop a long term perspective for the Forum as an active organisation.

The work of the LINK Forum is focusing on international long-distance travel and cross-border services. The particular relevance of transport services on the urban and regional level for any intermodal trip has been taken into account by including a working group on this topic.

• Awareness raising
  - The LINK Forum will promote participation and exchange on passenger intermodality in concrete networking activities (working groups, LINK conference).
  - A wide range of relevant stakeholders will be involved via consultations.
  - LINK will provide guidance material and disseminate knowledge about passenger intermodality across Europe.
  - Decision makers will be addressed via political marketing activities, also on the national level.
  
  
• Networking
  - Five working groups will bring together administrators, operators, researchers and users. They will deal with the following intermodality key issues: door-to-door information/ ticketing, intermodal networks/ interchanges, integration of long-distance transport and "last urban mile", planning/ implementation and context conditions.
  - Two LINK Conferences and over 25 national workshops will offer unique meeting places.
  
  
• Knowledge transfer
  - The LINK Forum will structure and monitor research in the area of passenger intermodality.
  - A virtual library and best practice database will make available knowledge better accessible.
  

Rupprecht Consult co-ordinates the networking activities of the LINK Forum (Work Packages A.2 and A.3). This will include among other tasks the coordination of the 5 working groups, the coordination of 14 national focal points across Europe and the establishment of an online community.

The consortium of LINK is made up of 17 partners coming from the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and The Netherlands.

Sebastian Bührmann

Tel: +49-221-60 60 55 14

Project Website
http://www.linkforum.eu/