Inland waterway transports are by far the cheapest mode of transportation compared to land transports. However, one of the major obstacles in developing and promoting inland waterway transports is the possible freezing over of the waterways during wintertime. This freezing often leads to substantial delays in waterway transports and, in the most severe conditions, navigation can be disrupted for several weeks or months. Because the other modes of transport offer a year-round service, such disruptions in the winter are very unfavourable for the inland waterways, especially if they cannot be foreseen beforehand and the vessels are caught unaware.
Delays in transports caused by the freezing of waterways lead to considerable economic losses. Furthermore, possible damages to the vessels, waterway structures and shorelines result in further economic losses. It is therefore important to develop the winter navigation techniques for inland waterways and to develop more precise forecasts of their ice conditions.
