Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ESEP4Freight (European Shift Enabler Portal for Freight)
Período documentado: 2024-09-01 hasta 2025-08-31
In the future European mobility system, freight rail is essential for meeting the European Green Deal. The fastest and most efficient way to decarbonize freight transport is to shift freight to rail, requiring improved rail’s market competitiveness and higher customer awareness. It is necessary to attract customers e.g. with transparent high-quality information rail freight possibilities and benefits.
The ESEP4Freight offers freight customers an overview of the available rail freight services in Europe via a web platform, based on a map by SGKV.
The platform features an Interactive map with modules such as CO2 calculator, schedule viewer, contract toolbox and match making tool. It analyses the current contractual framework, proposing recommendations for its updated and a set of harmonised and standardised models for transport agreements and contracts. The set of harmonised contracts will be also the base for piloting a new set of blockchain-based specifications for simplifying transport agreements and contracts.
The project delivers a detailed overview of the legal and policy framework governing contractual relations in the intermodal transport sector, supporting development of interoperable digital and smart contract solutions, since intermodal transport is not ruled by a single transport document convention. The plurality of transport document leads to EU legislation enforcement problems which have an impact on business operations. Smart contract could enhance harmonisation, transparency and digital compatibility among stakeholders, including Combined Transport Operators, Terminal Operators, Logistics Service Providers and shippers.
The ESEP4Freight offers freight customers an overview of the available rail freight services in Europe via a web platform, based on a map by SGKV.
The platform features an Interactive map with modules such as CO2 calculator, schedule viewer, contract toolbox and match making tool. It analyses the current contractual framework, proposing recommendations for its updated and a set of harmonised and standardised models for transport agreements and contracts. The set of harmonised contracts will be also the base for piloting a new set of blockchain-based specifications for simplifying transport agreements and contracts.
The project delivers a detailed overview of the legal and policy framework governing contractual relations in the intermodal transport sector, supporting development of interoperable digital and smart contract solutions, since intermodal transport is not ruled by a single transport document convention. The plurality of transport document leads to EU legislation enforcement problems which have an impact on business operations. Smart contract could enhance harmonisation, transparency and digital compatibility among stakeholders, including Combined Transport Operators, Terminal Operators, Logistics Service Providers and shippers.
KPIs were defined and emerging rail‑freight innovations evaluated, such as digital automatic coupling, intelligent video gates, IoT, digital twins, smart containers, AI, and multimodal solutions. Current and future freight trends were mapped, and less congested routes highlighted to promote rail modal shift for shipments over 300 km. Infrastructure and operational strategies were examined, e.g. double‑tracking, train spacing, and train length.
An analysis of contractual frameworks within the intermodal transport sector was included, focusing on actors such as Combined Transport Operators, Terminal Operators, Logistics Service Providers, and shippers. A dedicated template was created to organise legal documents based on key attributes, for a structured comparison of existing agreements, including a review of international conventions such as CIM, CMR, CMNI, CLNI, and the Rotterdam Rules. In addition, sector-specific documents like terms and conditions of UIRR and several intermodal operators and logistics service providers were analysed.
A SWOT analysis and the compilation of a catalogue of digital platforms used for document exchange was included, supporting the development of specifications for smart contracts and identification of areas for contract harmonisation. Relevant European projects in the fields of blockchain and smart contracts provided additional input to ensure compatibility with the platform were analysed, providing a comprehensive overview of the current contractual practices and digital tools used across the sector.
The web platform architecture was designed using open-source standards. Development focused on three levels: front-end user interface, multi-modal routing algorithm based on timetables including the external costs calculation, and back-end for process orchestration and database management.
For platform validation, several Business Cases (BC) were defined with the support of the Stakeholder Group (SG), a consortium of logistic chain representatives formed in the beginning of the project. SG members tested the platform using these BCs, and their feedback refined the beta version, informed scalability assessments, suggested future enhancements, and helped create the user handbook.
An analysis of contractual frameworks within the intermodal transport sector was included, focusing on actors such as Combined Transport Operators, Terminal Operators, Logistics Service Providers, and shippers. A dedicated template was created to organise legal documents based on key attributes, for a structured comparison of existing agreements, including a review of international conventions such as CIM, CMR, CMNI, CLNI, and the Rotterdam Rules. In addition, sector-specific documents like terms and conditions of UIRR and several intermodal operators and logistics service providers were analysed.
A SWOT analysis and the compilation of a catalogue of digital platforms used for document exchange was included, supporting the development of specifications for smart contracts and identification of areas for contract harmonisation. Relevant European projects in the fields of blockchain and smart contracts provided additional input to ensure compatibility with the platform were analysed, providing a comprehensive overview of the current contractual practices and digital tools used across the sector.
The web platform architecture was designed using open-source standards. Development focused on three levels: front-end user interface, multi-modal routing algorithm based on timetables including the external costs calculation, and back-end for process orchestration and database management.
For platform validation, several Business Cases (BC) were defined with the support of the Stakeholder Group (SG), a consortium of logistic chain representatives formed in the beginning of the project. SG members tested the platform using these BCs, and their feedback refined the beta version, informed scalability assessments, suggested future enhancements, and helped create the user handbook.
The platform intermodal-railfreight.eu has been developed and launched. It is built on three key elements: access to terminal information and operators' schedules, offering route calculations along with an external cost assessment that enhances the usual CO2 emissions calculator; the establishment of a contractual framework to facilitate relationships among the various stakeholders involved in transporting goods, and the use of a visual map to illustrate the current state and potential of freight transport by train.
Additionally, a demonstration example within the contractual framework highlights the application of blockchain and smart contract technologies, aimed at encouraging and standardizing their use in freight transport by train.
The rail’s growth potential in Europe’s freight market was quantified showed in categorisation of routes and terminals according to transport volume. Each cluster represents a group of routes and terminals with a specific freight volume.
The potential results is available on the platform. This information is useful for stakeholders to identify the routes and terminals with the highest and lowest freight volumes. Furthermore, the results related to the potential modal shift of over 300 km of road freight to rail is presented at country level.
A skeleton for a European convention ruling intermodal transport was created. This convention could be used to frame the liabilities and responsibilities in intermodal freight transport. It was also found that the tender process is the core element to business arrangements, rather than pre-defined contractual terms imposed on one or the other party. New business use could be studied in future projects.
Additionally, a demonstration example within the contractual framework highlights the application of blockchain and smart contract technologies, aimed at encouraging and standardizing their use in freight transport by train.
The rail’s growth potential in Europe’s freight market was quantified showed in categorisation of routes and terminals according to transport volume. Each cluster represents a group of routes and terminals with a specific freight volume.
The potential results is available on the platform. This information is useful for stakeholders to identify the routes and terminals with the highest and lowest freight volumes. Furthermore, the results related to the potential modal shift of over 300 km of road freight to rail is presented at country level.
A skeleton for a European convention ruling intermodal transport was created. This convention could be used to frame the liabilities and responsibilities in intermodal freight transport. It was also found that the tender process is the core element to business arrangements, rather than pre-defined contractual terms imposed on one or the other party. New business use could be studied in future projects.