Through the eye of an economist Thalmann explores 200 years of the dynamics of freight transport development in Switzerland and the United Kingdom. With a strong underlying theme concerned with the impact of government intervention on the efficiency of the freight transport system, Thalmann is able to provide an insight into the differences and similarities of the two countries who are currently the pioneers of this industry and thus make interesting case studies for the rest of Europe. This book provides quality data in graphical form which is accessible to all. Contrary to other work, Thalmann does not focus on road or rail transportation alone but on the whole range of transport modes. At the same time the research remains manageable with its focus on freight transportation while most comparable books deal solely with people transportation. The Dynamics of Freight Transport Development should be an invaluable tool for researchers in the field of transportation and also for the more general reader interested in the past and future of transportation.

Philippe Thalmann (Professor, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland)

Contents: Introduction. Part I: Great Britain: The history of British transport, with emphasis on freight; British freight transport: graphical analysis and trends; British pollution emissions and transport history. Part II: Switzerland: The history of Swiss transport, with emphasis on freight; Swiss freight transport: graphical analysis and trends; Swiss pollution emissions and transport history. Part III: Comparison and Conclusions: Comparison Switzerland - Great Britain; General conclusion; Bibliography; Index.