5L wagons lead the way to digital rail freight

摘要

Reflecting Swiss national transport policies that are strongly environmentally oriented and favour rail freight, SBB Cargo operates a network of wagonload services over distances averaging just 100 km (RG 4.19 p44), as well as running domestic and transit intermodal and block trains. Yet despite Switzerland's status as one of the most rail freight-friendly countries in Europe, policymakers are keen to see an even more competitive sector develop. A particular challenge surrounds the cost and complexity of less-than-trainload operations. While wagonload has endured, the part-privatised SBB Cargo faces many of the same challenges that have caused the decline of this type of operation across Europe. To improve its competitiveness and make the best use of the scarce capacity available on the heavily used Swiss network, SBB Cargo needed a holistic and forward-thinking strategy. As a result, it decided to integrate its freight operations into the wider Smartrail 4.0 advanced train control and traffic management programme that majority-owner SBB Group is developing (RG 3.19 p30).