When shipping via sea, you will be able to know where your freight is. By contrast, rail does not offer a similar level of transparency. However, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and Belgian infrastructure manager Infrabel are working to make that possible.
The port and Infrabel have developed three applications for greater transparency in rail logistics. “Anyone who has ever ordered a parcel and had it delivered to their home knows how important and useful it is to know where your parcel is and when it will be delivered so that someone is home to open the door”, says Infrabel.”
“This is also the case for rail freight transport. In order to offer full transparency to their customers, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and infrastructure manager Infrabel developed and implemented three applications that should make the logistics chain in the port area and on the Belgian rail network run more smoothly.”
RTP Manager
First up is the so-called Rail Trans Port (RTP) Manager. The application shows where a train or wagon is in the logistics process. Subsequently, customers can figure out whether or not their freight is delayed.
“The first version is now being used and finally tested by the two companies and will be gradually opened up to all stakeholders in the rail transport logistics chain (railway companies, terminals, shippers, freight payers, bridge and lock keepers and harbour masters) after the summer of 2025”, explains Infrabel.
In the early stage of the RTP Manager, Infrabel will use it to coordinate the activities of each link in the transport chain better, allowing it to respond more quickly to possible deviations and to monitor and manage the use of rail bundles.
“In the long term, the intention is to further expand RTP Manager with additional functionalities and data such as international monitoring of freight traffic, the use of GPS data (location determination is currently based on information obtained from the rail infrastructure), terminal slots and so on”, the infrastructure manager writes.
Shunting and communication
A second app has been developed specifically for a shunting yard in Antwerp. “Trieerheuvel viewer”, a web application, will allow railway companies to see when their wagons are being shunted and when they are ready for departure.
The third app, dubbed FreightChat, is a communication tool. It is supposed to remove the need for all previous communication channels, such as WhatsApp, email, phone or SMS. “On this application, Infrabel, the port, the railway companies and the end customers can communicate with each other directly and in real time. This concerns communication about incidents, construction sites and all matters that can have an impact on freight transport in the port”, the infrastructure manager explains.