Phase	Characteristics
Planning	Relevance and viability studies. Local support. Attraction of users and investment commitments. High risk and subsidy level.
Setting	Construction of terminal and distribution facilities. First users (some can be transitional).
Growth	Realization of market potential. Growth of traffic. Capture of additional users. Clustering effect and generation of added value.
Maturity	Traffic stabilization. Available space filled and/or few new users. Non-commercial activities (housing). Revenue generation optimal.
Decline	Change in market conditions. Departure of users. Reemergence of subsidies.

Source: adapted from Inland Port Transportation Evaluation Guide, http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/pdf_reports/4083_P4.pdf.

Inland Terminal Life Cycle

An inland terminal, like most transport infrastructure, has a life cycle that involves a sequence:

• Planning. In this stage the business opportunities of an inland terminal are considered. This involves the identification of potential sites, the costs incurred as well as the search for potential users and sources of financing. Consideration should also be made to the size of the facility, its governance, its integration with a logistics zone and its insertion within local, regional and global systems of freight circulation.
• Setting. Once a decision has been reach about the terminal site, construction of the facilities takes place, often in different expansion stages. This marks the setting of the first users, some of them can be transitional (e.g. taking advantage of cleared land for storage purposes before other facilities are constructed).
• Growth. The inland terminal quickly develop its market potential which will be proportional to its sitting within local, regional and global freight distribution systems. New users decide to use the facility and/or locate in the vicinity, which favors clustering and the development of logistical poles generating added-value to freight distribution.
• Maturity. At some point, the market potential of the inland terminal is reached and traffic and revenue generation reach a peak. Most of the development zone is now occupied and few new users arrive, often to replace users that may have left. This is also the phase that sees rising costs due to real estate pressures and congestion of the terminal facilities and its accessibility to the regional transport system. Since the inland terminal has become a node of economic activity, many other forms of real estate development take place in proximity, notably housing and retail. This has the potential to increase externalities and public pressures to mitigate them.
• Decline. Because of changing market conditions (e.g. new competitors) and rising externalities, the efficiency of the inland terminal for several freight distribution activities is compromised. This involves the departure of several users and attempts to have some elements subsidized (e.g. tax credits or infrastructure provision)  in order to reduce operating costs.