Lufthansa Express Rail in Germany: A critical evaluation of benefits and limitations of the intermodal network based on journey time and fares

Frankfurt Airport is a role model for intermodal infrastructure, given its excellent degree of air, rail, and road connectivity. The connection Cologne-Frankfurt, for instance, is frequently used as the prime example for air-rail mode substitution, where a high-frequent rail service from Cologne Main Station to the integrated air-rail terminal at Frankfurt Airport completely replaced air service between the two cities in the year 2007. In recent years, Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn have gradually expanded this role model into a whole network product covering 24 cities connected for Frankfurt Airport, advertised as Lufthansa Express Rail. In this study, we analyze the potential benefits of Lufthansa Express Rail for the 24 cities in terms of journey time and journey fare, comparing it to flights departing from the 24 origin cities directly. Our results indicate that the network and schedule together do not lead to obvious advantages for either time-sensitive or price-sensitive passengers, compared to the prime example Cologne-Frankfurt. Our study contributes to the analysis of air-rail integration, highlighting the difficulties which are inherent when extending a prime example corridor into a working network product.