Rail Transport Although perhaps not as significant as road transport, rail remains a crucial inland link for landlocked countries and intermodal trade. Rail’s importance in intermodal transport will increase with the growing use of container trade, as double-stacking trains allow shippers to achieve economies of scale and reduce line haul cost.19 The amount that a developing country will be able to benefit from this will depend largely upon infrastructure and technical connectivity with rail networks in other countries. Weak rail infrastructures limit rail speed and weight capacity. Different gauges in different countries require timeconsuming unloading and loading of goods onto cars that fit proper track gauges. Worksheet Four provides guidance to identify issues within a country’s rail services.