Periodic Reporting for period 1 - DACcelerate (Accelerated DAC transformation to full digital rail freight operations in Europe)
Período documentado: 2021-06-01 hasta 2022-05-31
In its Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy , the European Commission targets an increase of the rail freight transport in Europe by 50% by 2030. To reach this goal, several technologies and methods will play a significant role: digitalisation and automation of rail freight operations lead to novel solutions with a major impact providing a critical opportunity to shift the freight transport from road to rail. Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) is seen as a “game-changer” solution, a feasible and effective way for the transformation to full digital rail freight operations in Europe to deliver on the Green Deal and Digitalisation Package 2022 objectives. The advantages of DAC stretch across the rail freight sector, from railway undertakings and infrastructure managers including their staff to wagon keepers, society and environment, ultimately delivering benefits for rail freight customers. DAC makes automation possible, increases coupling efficiency and safety.
Therefore, DACcelerate aims to manage and directly support the European DAC Delivery Programme in close cooperation with all stakeholders, while continuously engaging with experts and policy makers on EU & member state levels. It will provide strategies, methods and guidelines for successful and cost-efficient transition to fully automatized and digitalised rail freight transport. The project will tangibly illustrate the required future technology innovation bricks and respectfully updated operational procedures in an early phase of the roll-out and migration process. Hence, DACcelerate will establish and apply a framework allowing identification of bottlenecks, provide a means of cross-sectorial communication between stakeholders and develop a consolidated migration plan to tackle the individual challenges, while harmonizing technical approaches and developments. In order to perform these tasks in an efficient manner, the efforts will be aligned with existing European structures and activities with relevance for the EDDP.g broad engagement of sector actors and all EU Member States
The objectives of DACcelerate for laying the foundation for an effective and cost-efficient DAC roll-out and for full digital rail freight operations in Europe are:
(1) Systemic EDDP implementation for accelerating the adoption of a European DAC solution
(2) Harmonized European DAC specification ready for product development, integration into operations and for the EU regulatory Framework (TSI)
(3) European Migration Strategy for effective roll-out and full integration by 2030
(4) Impact Assessment and Attractiveness: Assessment of the wider socio-economic benefits of a DAC introduction for network capacity and contribution to the targets of the EU Green Deal; Preparation for the transformation of job profiles and required new skills for shaping attractive new workplaces
(5)DAC Impact awareness by stipulating broad engagement of sector actors and all EU Member States
Therefore, DACcelerate aims to manage and directly support the European DAC Delivery Programme in close cooperation with all stakeholders, while continuously engaging with experts and policy makers on EU & member state levels. It will provide strategies, methods and guidelines for successful and cost-efficient transition to fully automatized and digitalised rail freight transport. The project will tangibly illustrate the required future technology innovation bricks and respectfully updated operational procedures in an early phase of the roll-out and migration process. Hence, DACcelerate will establish and apply a framework allowing identification of bottlenecks, provide a means of cross-sectorial communication between stakeholders and develop a consolidated migration plan to tackle the individual challenges, while harmonizing technical approaches and developments. In order to perform these tasks in an efficient manner, the efforts will be aligned with existing European structures and activities with relevance for the EDDP.g broad engagement of sector actors and all EU Member States
The objectives of DACcelerate for laying the foundation for an effective and cost-efficient DAC roll-out and for full digital rail freight operations in Europe are:
(1) Systemic EDDP implementation for accelerating the adoption of a European DAC solution
(2) Harmonized European DAC specification ready for product development, integration into operations and for the EU regulatory Framework (TSI)
(3) European Migration Strategy for effective roll-out and full integration by 2030
(4) Impact Assessment and Attractiveness: Assessment of the wider socio-economic benefits of a DAC introduction for network capacity and contribution to the targets of the EU Green Deal; Preparation for the transformation of job profiles and required new skills for shaping attractive new workplaces
(5)DAC Impact awareness by stipulating broad engagement of sector actors and all EU Member States
The GA and CA were signed, the project handbook submitted, a kick-off event and two consortium meeting organised.DACcelerate reported to the EDDP programme board. The DAC type successfully selected at 14/09.
90% finalisation of DAC SPEC, comparison between voltage levels, short list communication systems has been achieved. Power/communication architecture is under development and the DAC operational scenarios and technical features are under evaluation. Several workshops/bilats with RUs/WKs support the developed migration hypotheses. Fleet/transport data was gathered.
Main shunting yards in Sweden identified and contacted. Data on production personnel partly collected.
A major contact has been established with Hallsberg, the largest shunting hump yard of Sweden. Questionnaires and interview guides developed. Further with smaller operator of freight and passenger trains. A visit to their head office where they perform
shunting on a flat yard.
Ongoing investigation about: AS IT IS situation in terms of ETCS L3 development and implementation; possible bottlenecks corridor or lines where congestion is very high and therefore implementation of ETCS Level 3 would provide significant benefits in terms of capacity.
A communication strategy was implemented (integration in EDDP WP6) and a dissemination strategy submitted. The project identity (Logo, S2R, news, etc.) was established and dissemination activities have started.
90% finalisation of DAC SPEC, comparison between voltage levels, short list communication systems has been achieved. Power/communication architecture is under development and the DAC operational scenarios and technical features are under evaluation. Several workshops/bilats with RUs/WKs support the developed migration hypotheses. Fleet/transport data was gathered.
Main shunting yards in Sweden identified and contacted. Data on production personnel partly collected.
A major contact has been established with Hallsberg, the largest shunting hump yard of Sweden. Questionnaires and interview guides developed. Further with smaller operator of freight and passenger trains. A visit to their head office where they perform
shunting on a flat yard.
Ongoing investigation about: AS IT IS situation in terms of ETCS L3 development and implementation; possible bottlenecks corridor or lines where congestion is very high and therefore implementation of ETCS Level 3 would provide significant benefits in terms of capacity.
A communication strategy was implemented (integration in EDDP WP6) and a dissemination strategy submitted. The project identity (Logo, S2R, news, etc.) was established and dissemination activities have started.
- Spreading of excellence on full digital rail freight operations in Europe
- Activities in this field and increased awareness of European
- A goal-driven, federated effort towards a challenging vision of materializing a major transformation of the rail freight sector towards full digital rail freight operations in Europe enabled by DAC
- Bridging the research and innovation within IP5 and the future deployment of the European DAC
- Involvement and commitment from key stakeholders
- Increased transnational collaboration between the relevant European initiatives in the field
- Activities in this field and increased awareness of European
- A goal-driven, federated effort towards a challenging vision of materializing a major transformation of the rail freight sector towards full digital rail freight operations in Europe enabled by DAC
- Bridging the research and innovation within IP5 and the future deployment of the European DAC
- Involvement and commitment from key stakeholders
- Increased transnational collaboration between the relevant European initiatives in the field