Live Coverage: 'The New TSI Telematics: Impacts of Intermodal Transport' Webinar

RAILTARGET brings you live coverage from today’s webinar on the new TSI Telematics, hosted by UIRR, focusing on data-sharing principles, key requirements for intermodal transport, and the EDICT project's efforts to boost interoperability in Combined Transport.

10:05 Eric Feyen, UIRR's Technical Director, opens the webinar with a welcoming address and outlines the agenda for the session. He introduces the concept of data sharing as the exchange of master and dynamic transactional data between businesses and public stakeholders and talks about the importance of willingness to share data to create mutual benefits, the need for adequate IT infrastructure and adherence to standards, and the role of monitoring and improving data sharing to ensure quality and address gaps.

10:10 He presents UIRR’s position paper, pointing out that improved data sharing is crucial for enhancing the attractiveness of intermodal rail freight. He explains that stakeholders must agree on relevant data elements and messages to align efforts and ensure smooth communication.

Feyen also addresses the main requests from the intermodal rail freight sector, focusing on the standardization and harmonization of master data under clear governance rules. He points out the need to extend these efforts to transactional data, ensuring definitions and values are consistent across stakeholders. He says it's important to maximize the value of data exchange, particularly for SME intermodal stakeholders, who make up the majority of the segment.

10:15 Yann Seimandi, Policy Officer at the European Commission, takes the stage to present the principles and key requirements of the new TSI Telematics. He shows how digitalization supports crucial objectives, including shifting freight to rail, reducing operational costs, enabling efficient planning, and ensuring safe and timely operations through quality data sharing.

Seimandi highlights challenges in accessing train traffic and composition data, pointing to issues like alleged commercial sensitivity, lack of transparency, and unreliability in rail services, which risk shifting freight away from rail. He introduces the "Rotterdam principle" for data sharing, advocating for a balance of legal, commercial, and operational responsibilities to enable data access and right of use for all stakeholders, including infrastructure managers, terminals, and railway undertakings.

10:20 Seimandi also stresses the importance of public access to existing train service data under specific guidelines. He explains that while free access is allowed for operational purposes, it remains limited to the "Rotterdam principles" to protect sensitive information related to national security and commercial interests. He also outlines the role of existing TAF messages in ensuring seamless communication within terminals, from loading points to train traffic reporting, ensuring operational readiness.

10:25 Yann Seimandi continues his presentation by discussing efficient planning of onward operations and connections. He mentions the importance of reliability and confidence in information, supported by ex-post measurements of ETA accuracy, quality assurance checks, and historical train traffic data records. These elements ensure robust planning and execution of rail operations.

He points out the need for common and centralized reference databases for intermodal loading units, which include identification, type (such as containers or semi-trailers), compatibility with wagons and routes, and specific loading characteristics. These databases are vital for standardizing operations across stakeholders.

10:30 Seimandi further explains the movements within terminals, focusing on the planning of stabling and shunting and monitoring wagon status at entry and exit points. These processes are critical in improving terminal efficiency and ensuring seamless operations in the freight network.

10:40 Eric Feyen delves into the insights from the EDICT project and outlines its key achievements. He explains that the project focuses on improving data interoperability and sharing in Combined Transport, with efforts aimed at harmonizing milestones, creating collaborative quality management systems, and enabling seamless tracking and tracing across the network.

Feyen points out the push for interoperability through the reuse of existing capabilities and the decoupling of standardization needs for rail and road. These principles allow for fast implementation, scalability, and cost reductions, all demonstrated practically within the EDICT framework.

Feyen further discusses the updated roles and definitions under the TSI Telematics Act, which now include operators of rail service facilities, telematics stakeholders, and intermodal transport operators. He mentions challenges posed by bilateral contractual agreements in data sharing, calling for modifications to simplify processes and reduce complexity.

Moreover, UIRR requests to ensure more precise contractual frameworks and advocates for streamlined data-sharing mechanisms critical for achieving the full potential of door-to-door intermodal transport.

10:45 Eric Feyen expands on the TSI Telematics Act, focusing on its role in establishing a common central repository and reference data. He explains that this repository will serve as the single source for common European rail data, encompassing metadata, certification authorities, and reference codes. Feyen mentions that reference data should be publicly available and free of charge, addressing the need for updated and comprehensive location codes.

He discusses the rights of telematics stakeholders and freight customers, emphasizing access to data on capacity management, train preparation, and traffic management. This data must be available through a common interface or web application, ensuring transparency and efficiency.

10:50 Feyen also presents the EDICT project’s testing of transferable messages, which include train running information, delay causes, and interruptions. He describes the TRI solution for notifying train closures and arrivals, substituting the current "Train Ready" obligation, and streamlining operations.

On the topic of wagon status, Feyen clarifies that while wagon set location is sufficient for intermodal terminals, wagon-specific status messages are recommended but not mandatory. He advocates for making this process optional to avoid unnecessary complexities.

11:00 Lastly, he introduces the new Intermodal Loading Unit Reference Database, which will standardize data for containers, swap bodies, and semi-trailers. Managed under the coordination of the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), the database will improve operational alignment and compatibility across the rail network.

11:05 Jaroslav Lučkay, Sales Manager at RailNetEurope (RNE), introduces smart connectivity solutions through the Common Interface and the RNE TIS Group Solution. He explains that the Common Interface enables TAF/TAP TSI message exchange through a peer-to-peer application that can be locally installed in customer datacenters. This solution supports real-time data exchange and allows for the integration of customer-specific messages, providing high compatibility with legacy and future systems.

Lučkay points out the benefits of the Common Interface, which include the development of open-source software, ensuring flexibility and scalability, and safeguarding investments in older systems. He also presents the two primary data flow options: real-time data, offering advanced filtering and high-volume handling via the Common Interface, and historical data, available through tailored datasets delivered via email, FTP server, or reporting tools.

11:15 Christoph Büchner, Managing Director of DXI, presents KV4.0 as a data hub for intermodal transport. He begins by explaining the starting situation in intermodal transport, mentioning the complexity of supply chains compared to continuous road freight transport. He mentions challenges like the existence of many electronic data interfaces, the elaborate organization of intermodal transports, and standalone digital solutions by involved parties, which result in a complex end-to-end information chain.

He outlines the objectives of KV4.0, pointing out its role as a common data hub for exchanging timetable, booking, and shipment status data. The hub aims for consolidation of all data within the intermodal supply chain, real-time data access, harmonization of electronic interfaces, and greater transparency and usability of data for all parties.

11:20The KV4.0 Data Hub, implemented between 2017 and 2020 with funding from the German Ministry of Transport, serves as an integrated platform to enhance transparency across the intermodal transport chain. It utilizes standard XML EDIGES format for seamless data exchange and integrates functionalities like track and trace, ETA, timetable management, and booking data exchange.

Büchner explains the technical structure of the KV4.0 Data Hub, which functions as a central distributor for intermodal supply chain messages. The hub uses a REST API for communication, employs push and pull procedures for data delivery and retrieval, and enforces validation rules for EDIGES format compliance. He says that the sender determines the data recipients and the hub does not store any data, ensuring efficient and secure operations.

11:25 He concludes by describing the benefits for combined transport stakeholders. These include data transparency, optimized forecast data, up-to-date timetable data, improved terminal slot planning, and better allocation of truck arrivals and departures. The KV4.0 hub also serves as a single point of access for transport-relevant data, optimizing data exchange costs and enabling modern, cloud-based solutions.

Finally, he mentions the current status of DXI activities, noting that DXI Intermodal GmbH was founded in October 2022, the KV4.0 Data Hub reached its productive version in February 2023, and over 25 commercial users are actively utilizing the platform since March 2023.

11:30 Eric Feyen concludes the webinar by discussing the new CEF2 proposal, which focuses on enhancing data sharing in a door-to-door perspective. He explains that the project is coordinated by UIRR, recognized as the voice of intermodal freight transport in Europe, and involves a consortium of about 15 partners. These include logistics service providers, intermodal operators, terminal operators, railway undertakings, and infrastructure managers. The proposal is set against the backdrop of the current market situation in intermodal rail, with attention to policy and digital advancements. Its primary objective is to enable interoperable data exchange among all intermodal stakeholders, with a particular focus on freight terminals, including SMEs, while ensuring compliance with TSI Telematics. He concludes with an invitation for interested parties to join the initiative.

This concludes the 'The New TSI Telematics: Impacts of Intermodal Transport' webinar. Thank you for tuning in with RAILTARGET for the live coverage.