Such hub-and-spoke networks were revealed to be vulnerable, as the volumes on
the spokes could be affected by (1) newcomers entering the market in the aftermath
of European rail liberalization and (2) increasing intermodal volumes in seaports
(Kreuzberger 2005; Notteboom 2009a). New railway operators often ‘‘cherry-pick’’
by introducing competing direct shuttle trains on a spoke of a competitor’s established
hub-and-spoke network. This has a negative effect on cargo volumes on the
spoke, and can lead to a collapse of the whole hub-and-spoke system. That is what
happened to ICF’s Qualitynet in 2004; ICF launched its new strategy late that year.
The intermodal traffic of the former Qualitynet hub in Metz is now handled by a set
of direct shuttle trains going to fewer destinations. For eastern and south-eastern
Europe, services are centered around the hub in Sopron (Hungary).