Freightwise - management framework for intelligent intermodal transport

Información del proyecto

FREIGHTWISE

Identificador del acuerdo de subvención: 20188

Proyecto cerrado

Fecha de inicio 30 Octubre 2006

Fecha de finalización 29 Abril 2010

Financiado con arreglo a

• Sustainable Development, Global Change and Ecosystems: thematic priority 6 under the Focusing and Integrating Community Research programme 2002-2006.

Coste total € 14 301 480,00

Aportación de la UE € 7 930 134,00

Coordinado por

BMT BRITISH MARITIME TECHNOLOGY
United Kingdom

Exploitable results

Intermodal transport to replace road freight

Freightwise's overall objective is to support the modal shift of cargo flows from road towards intermodal transport using short sea shipping, inland waterways and rail; facilitated by improved management and exchange of information between large and small stakeholders across all business sectors, transport modes and administrations. The project aims to show that using the project results and concepts (based on the use of open, interoperable systems), competitive intermodal transport operations may effectively be implemented and operated. Based on extensive experience from development and operation, a harmonised framework (covering managerial and technical aspects) will be established as a basis for development and integration of the relevant, low cost ICT components and associated services supporting competitive intermodal solutions with safe, secure and environmentally-friendly transport. Freightwise is user driven and the development will be based on real business cases across Europe. The most significant interim result of Freightwise so far is a breakthrough in the analysis of intermodal freight transport. This has shown that the complex nature of booking freight services can be reduced to just four roles and six messages. The roles and messages form a framework which has been named the 'Freightwise Framework' (FWF). The FWF identified the four roles in intermodal transport as: - the Transport Service Provider, - the Transport User, - the Transportation Network Manager, - the Transport Regulator. The roles can be adopted either by four different persons, companies or authorities or two or more roles by the same person in the same company or authority. The FWF utilises six messages: 1. Transport Service Description (TSD), 2. Transport Execution Plan (TEP), 3. Transport Execution Status (TES), 4. Transport Item Status (TIS), 5. Transport Operation Status (TOS), 6. Network and Traffic Status (NTS). All the information that is necessary to publish, advertise, plan, book, execute and invoice an intermodal transport service is within these messages. Technical implications of results by theme This simplification in booking has huge implications for the management of intermodal freight. The implementation of the FWF means that the evolution of intermodal transport is progressing to a stage that is revolutionary. Policy implications One of the main results of an audience survey (of 80 participants in a major project workshop) was that the audience was in favour of the European Commission (EC) taking a lead on making FWF a standard tool for use in managing intermodal transport.