CinderRailer – Network of polygonal transport for the combination of slag and gypsum transport with the same containers

Starting point / motivation

Especially in rail transport it is a common practice to have a fully loaded container in one way of the transport route followed by an empty return journey. Thereby only a maximum efficiency of 50 percent can be achieved, which is restricting for competitiveness towards road transport. The lack of efficiency is reinforced by the use of special containers, which can only be used for the transport of specific goods.

Innofreight and Rail Cargo Austria and Rail Cargo Austria have set themselves the goal to increase the productivity in rail freight by means of the modularization of the logistics systems.

Contents and goals

The solution is based both on the use of innovative transport technologies and on a new logistical and organisational approach. The transport performed to date as point to-point transport without return freight will be merged into a transport network for which solutions for coordinating the companies involved were sought in addition to the flexibly deployable modular equipment and planning of sophisticated schedules and transshipment times.

Customers can be shown the advantages of the system with the results of the demonstration on building up transport networks and deploying equipment to them.

Methods

The developed business model will be implemented in collaboration with customers from the construction materials and steel industry in Austria, where the combination of InnoWaggon and RockTainer system is used in the transport network of granulated slag, gravel and limestone. In the future, the use of this equipment should be tested in other branches of industry with transport of bulk goods and the system implemented. The further development of the currently used RockTainer ORE to the newly dimensioned RockTrainer SAND is also planned for mid-2016.

Results and conclusion

The result of the project is a system that can be positioned on the market as a new product. The knowledge gained is used to offer the customer a functioning system that delivers logistical advantages and can be employed as a model for further implementations. In this way, new markets and customers can be acquired, especially abroad.

The project increases the cost-effectiveness of the railways and at the same time reduces their emissions and consumption of resources. By avoiding empty trips, this can achieve higher loads, lower intrinsic weight and thus lower energy consumption per tonne kilometre of freight.

Project management

MSc Martina Zisler, innofreight Speditions GmbH

Project partners

Peter Sorian, Rail Cargo Austria AG

innofreight Speditions GmbH
MSc Martina Zisler
Grazer Straße 18
A-8600 Bruck an der Mur