Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ESEP4Freight (European Shift Enabler Portal for Freight)
Période du rapport: 2023-09-01 au 2024-08-31
In the future European mobility system, freight rail plays a key role in making a significant contribution to achieving the goals of the European Green Deal. The fastest and most efficient way to decarbonize freight transport is to shift freight to rail. To achieve this shift, the overall competitiveness of rail in the transport market should be improved. To strengthen the role of freight rail in the transportation market, it is necessary to attract the attention of freight customers.
One manner to increase the awareness of rail freight is to provide customers with high-quality and open information about the possibilities of rail transport and the associated benefits of rail freight.
The objective of the ESEP4Freight project is therefore to provide freight customers with an overview of the available rail freight services in Europe via a web platform. This will be supported by the creation of a Web Platform based on an existing map developed by SGKV that identifies freight flows with a higher potential for transport by rail. The Web Platform will include an Interactive map with different modules such as CO2 calculator, a schedule viewer, a contract toolbox and a match making tool. In addition, ESEP4Freight aims to support the shift of freight to rail by analysing the current contractual framework, proposing a set of recommendations for its updated and suggesting 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.
One manner to increase the awareness of rail freight is to provide customers with high-quality and open information about the possibilities of rail transport and the associated benefits of rail freight.
The objective of the ESEP4Freight project is therefore to provide freight customers with an overview of the available rail freight services in Europe via a web platform. This will be supported by the creation of a Web Platform based on an existing map developed by SGKV that identifies freight flows with a higher potential for transport by rail. The Web Platform will include an Interactive map with different modules such as CO2 calculator, a schedule viewer, a contract toolbox and a match making tool. In addition, ESEP4Freight aims to support the shift of freight to rail by analysing the current contractual framework, proposing a set of recommendations for its updated and suggesting 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 activities in WP1 were organised to achieve the defined objectives in terms of identifying and defining KPIs to be used in WP1 and the different parts of the project, as well as analysing the most promising upcoming innovations, their limitations and potentials.
In order to achieve these objectives set in WP1 and to increase the importance of rail in the transport market, the potential of digital transformation was recognised within the activities of WP1.
Therefore, WP1 analysed the introduction and impact of certain new technologies on rail freight transport such as digital automatic coupling (DAC) and intelligent video gates (IVG).
Apart from these, other emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), digital twin (DT) solutions, smart containers and contracts, AI and multimodal technologies can also have a potentially positive impact on transport in general and are therefore analysed in WP1.
These technologies were analysed using qualitative and quantitative techniques and the KPIs were identified as part of the project.
The positive impacts and challenges of these technologies for rail freight transport were analysed taking into account the operational processes in the intermodal terminal and marshalling yard.
As part of WP1, activities were carried out to identify current and future trends in the freight transport market and freight transport flows.
In the first step, rail freight flows were grouped using the cluster method to identify the highest and lowest freight volumes on the routes and in the freight terminals.
This information on less congested routes and terminals is an important contribution to the quality of service for customers and policy makers to recognise the potential for shifting freight to rail.
In order to understand the potential for modal shift to rail, the EU transport policy was also adopted as a second step. In this context, goods transported over 300 km by road was considered for modal shift to rail.
The quality of rail transport services is seen as a measure to improve the competitiveness of rail freight transport on the transport market.
Accordingly, WP1 analysed strategies related to infrastructural and operational characteristics such as double-tracking, speed variations, train spacing and length of goods trains.
The activities related to the last objective of WP1 related to the collection of infrastructure and operational data for the modules to be developed in WP3. As part of these activities, the information needs of the logistics sector were identified, a plan for data collection was drawn up and the data collection was carried out.
In order to achieve these objectives set in WP1 and to increase the importance of rail in the transport market, the potential of digital transformation was recognised within the activities of WP1.
Therefore, WP1 analysed the introduction and impact of certain new technologies on rail freight transport such as digital automatic coupling (DAC) and intelligent video gates (IVG).
Apart from these, other emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), digital twin (DT) solutions, smart containers and contracts, AI and multimodal technologies can also have a potentially positive impact on transport in general and are therefore analysed in WP1.
These technologies were analysed using qualitative and quantitative techniques and the KPIs were identified as part of the project.
The positive impacts and challenges of these technologies for rail freight transport were analysed taking into account the operational processes in the intermodal terminal and marshalling yard.
As part of WP1, activities were carried out to identify current and future trends in the freight transport market and freight transport flows.
In the first step, rail freight flows were grouped using the cluster method to identify the highest and lowest freight volumes on the routes and in the freight terminals.
This information on less congested routes and terminals is an important contribution to the quality of service for customers and policy makers to recognise the potential for shifting freight to rail.
In order to understand the potential for modal shift to rail, the EU transport policy was also adopted as a second step. In this context, goods transported over 300 km by road was considered for modal shift to rail.
The quality of rail transport services is seen as a measure to improve the competitiveness of rail freight transport on the transport market.
Accordingly, WP1 analysed strategies related to infrastructural and operational characteristics such as double-tracking, speed variations, train spacing and length of goods trains.
The activities related to the last objective of WP1 related to the collection of infrastructure and operational data for the modules to be developed in WP3. As part of these activities, the information needs of the logistics sector were identified, a plan for data collection was drawn up and the data collection was carried out.
The results of WP1 are divided into two contributions. The results of WP1 relate to the potential increase in rail's share of the freight transport market due to freight flows in Europe.
These results show the categorisation of routes and terminals according to transport volume. Each cluster represents a group of routes and terminals with a specific freight volume.
The results of these activities will be available online on the web platform that will be created as part of WP3. This information on the web platform would be useful for all stakeholders to identify the routes and terminals with the highest and lowest freight volumes and the potential for a modal shift to rail.
Furthermore, the results related to the potential modal shift of over 300 km of road freight to rail will be presented at country level. These results will be implemented as part of the web platform.
In addition, the results of the data collected for various functions of the web platform will be used for the development of modules within the web platform.
These results show the categorisation of routes and terminals according to transport volume. Each cluster represents a group of routes and terminals with a specific freight volume.
The results of these activities will be available online on the web platform that will be created as part of WP3. This information on the web platform would be useful for all stakeholders to identify the routes and terminals with the highest and lowest freight volumes and the potential for a modal shift to rail.
Furthermore, the results related to the potential modal shift of over 300 km of road freight to rail will be presented at country level. These results will be implemented as part of the web platform.
In addition, the results of the data collected for various functions of the web platform will be used for the development of modules within the web platform.