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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - LessThanWagonLoad (Development of ‘Less than Wagon Load’ transport solutions in the Antwerp Chemical cluster)

Teaser

The LessThanWagonLoad project has the objective to develop a smart specialized logistics cluster for the chemical industry in the Port of Antwerp in order to shift transport volumes from road to rail freight. This objective will be realised by developing: (i) a new rail...

Summary

The LessThanWagonLoad project has the objective to develop a smart specialized logistics cluster for the chemical industry in the Port of Antwerp in order to shift transport volumes from road to rail freight.

This objective will be realised by developing: (i) a new rail transport solutions for single pallets (we call this LWL ‘less than wagon load’ in analogy with existing LTL ‘less than truck load’ transport) and (ii) new added value rail freight services for the industry within the Antwerp chemical cluster. These potential new services consist of parking, repair, picking and cleaning for chemical wagons, rail connected cross docking of pallets and improved rail connections by setting up mixed trains with conventional and maritime container volumes. Realising the LessThanWagonLoad project will contribute in a substantial way in realizing the EC’s ambition to shift 30% of road freight over 300km to low-emission modes by 2030. The potential benefits of the project for European society are very important and diverse: (i) environmental improvements (less GHG emissions), (ii) reduced costs of rail freight, (iii) increased inter-modality and higher resilience of the transport system, (iv) local economic growth and employment, (v) less congestion and traffic casualties and (vi) less risk on social dumping.

To the best of our knowledge no real LWL concept exists on rail. Due to higher operational costs this concept was never feasible nor competitive with the truck. To tackle this issue the consortium will develop an automated loading system to limit the handling costs of these pallets and at the same time search for viable destinations and partners at the other end of the stretch.

The project primarily focuses on Antwerp and the chemical industry. As major logistical hub in Europe, it is strategically positioned and connected to 3 of the 9 TEN-T freight corridors. With presence of 11 of the 15 largest chemical companies in the world, Antwerp is the largest chemical cluster in Europe. Despite the fact that Antwerp is well connected with low-emission transport networks such as inland waterways and rail, most transport of intermediate or finished chemical products is still done by truck, leading to important CO2 emissions, air pollution and road congestion in and around Antwerp. Nevertheless the focus lies on the Antwerp cluster, the new concepts can also be leveraged to other logistical hubs with other industries. This will be demonstrated at a second logistical hub Nola, in the south of Italy. This broad implementation potential increases the impact on European society.

The consortium partners are highly ambitious in developing ground-breaking concepts (e.g. LWL), but also in developing new technology (e.g. automated loading of wagons) and in working out collaborative business models to bundle volumes and maximise equipment utilisation within the cluster. The consortium consists of 11 partners, from 5 member states. It has been carefully set up to combine the necessary multidisciplinary competences to realise the objectives. There is a balanced mix between research institutes, technology suppliers, freight operators and the chemical industry. With the strong involvement of operational companies and the industry, we are convinced that the newly developed concepts, technologies and services – if proven viable – will be very rapidly implemented and exploited.


The consortium is highly motivated to achieve the modal shift by working out rail products and services for the industry that outperform other transport solutions. It would be an honour for the consortium to start this exciting project with full support of the European Commission.

Work performed

Both main deliverables are well on their way of being fulfilled.

New rail solution were researched and developed in WP 1,2, 3 and 11. From these different work packages we can already conclude:
There is potential, the need and the possibility for development of an Automated Wagon Loading system. We have proven the positive environmental impact.
From a functional and technical point of view far reaching automation is possible. The necessary drawings are delivered in order to allow us to develop a real life test in the second period of the project.

WP 4, 5, 6 and 10 have detailed the new development for the Antwerp Mainhub which are possible and required by the market:
The need (WP5.1) and technical specifications (WP5.2) for a parking for chemical wagons have been identified. Many of the parties involved confirmed that it could optimize their supply chain from a process point of view. Elaborating the idea from a feasibility point of view led to the conclusion that insufficient grounds can be found to further develop the idea.
The need for the development of specialized repair services is clearly defined as a leverage factor to attract volumes to a cleaning station and to the rail system as a whole.
Also for cleaning services market analysis has shown a clear need. It will strengthen the competitive position of the Mainhub and, more importantly, it will realize the provisioned impact on the environment and the modal shift.
The technical specifications for a modern cleaning station have been drawn including contemporary waste water treatment technologies.
All these findings have been supported by research done on the individual chemical company level (in-depth interviews). Under the right conditions, the sector is in full support of the action.

To support these main deliverables WP 7 focused on determining the market potential. Regions with the largest cargo flows are predominantly found on relative short distances (e.g. North France, Western part of Germany and The Netherlands). More details on the type of products and the regions can be found in the different submitted reports.

In order to implement a new train service successfully by attracting sufficient cargo volume it is important to understand and satisfy customer requirements regarding the transport service. A service frequency of three departures per week in both directions is considered as the minimum required service level.

The output of WP 12 focused on dissemination towards the stakeholders (academic community, the chemical cluster in Antwerp,…) via advisory boards, website and presentation of the results at seminars and congresses.

Final results

The developed solutions for Less Than Wagon Load transport challenges via an Automated Wagon Loading System do not exist in the market yet. They will provide a major step forward in making rail for this type of cargo significantly more price competitive than in current business practices. As the cost difference is still a major deciding factor on modal choice, this newly developed AWLS will contribute in driving modal shift. The consortium is confident that it will deliver a ready for roll-out system.

The combination of activities offered at the Mainhub will be unique in its kind. Nowhere in Europe has a similar set-up been developed. It is the combination of activities which is the main contributor to its attractiveness. At a later stage, the Mainhub set-up could be copied to other load transfer terminals. They will make the European freight transport network more solid and by far more ecological.

The research that analyzed in depth the potential for modal shift delivered a methodology which has not been used before. The same methodology could be applied for other research.

Website & more info

More info: http://lessthanwagonload.eu.