France rail freight tonne-km: unidentifiable goods
France rail freight tonne-km: unidentifiable goods stood at 11.33 billion tonne-km in 2025, according to SDES – Service des données et études statistiques (Ministère de la Transition écologique). It is one of the indicators in the Freight transport (annual) table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 2008 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Freight transport (annual) table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tonne-kilometres by type of goods (NST 2007) | |||||||||||
| Unidentifiable goods (containers, swap bodies) | 11.33 | 10.36 | 8.62 | 11.32 | 12.08 | 7.53 | 7.82 | 8.22 | 8.67 | 10.13 | |
| Other goods n.e.c. | 3.14 | 2.56 | 2.53 | 2.46 | 1.5 | 2.01 | 1.9 | 0.09 | 0.13 | 0.05 |
Understanding france rail freight tonne-km: unidentifiable goods
Freight transport performance generated by moving cargo packed inside intermodal transport units whose specific contents cannot be determined by the carrier is quantified here in billion tonne-kilometres. This category isolates shipments where containers, semi-trailers, or swap bodies move under seal or without itemized cargo manifests recorded in the primary commodity classifications. It separates standardized intermodal logistics from bulk or traditionally packaged freight sibling rows.
Evaluations must account for container terminal bottlenecks and shifts in maritime shipping patterns that feed directly into rail corridors. Annual figures can experience step changes when intermodal operators reconfigure corridor hubs or alter terminal handling agreements. Analysts must avoid comparing these distance-weighted figures directly with physical unit counts, as weight and distance drive the underlying calculation.
Frequently asked questions
- What constitutes unidentifiable goods in rail freight reporting?
- Sealed freight containers and swap bodies whose internal cargo contents are not itemized in carrier waybills.
- Does this series include empty containers moving on flatcars?
- No, empty intermodal units are tracked under a separate logistics classification rather than this performance metric.
- Why might this series diverge from traditional bulk commodity trends?
- Intermodal transport tracks global supply chain shifts and port activity rather than local industrial production.