Despite the flexibility of containerised freight operations, the transfer of loads between road and rail is still limited by terminal location and capacity. For decades the conundrum of transferring freight efficiently between road and rail has tested the imagination of engineers, spawning an array of solutions that have varied widely in terms of their practicality reliability, and cost. Successful systems such as piggyback in North America and Rolling Road in Europe often require significant transport cost-effective over shorter distances by allowing the shipper to switch consignments between modes without the need for costly investment in handling equipment. The RailRunner bogie consists of two articulated lower frames, which allows radial steering of the axles and thereby minimises track forces, while the load carrying upper frame supports the road trailer by riding on a highly-efficient air suspension cushion. Another recently developed intermodal platform is Megaswing from Sweden. are not required to wait for the train and can immediately leave the terminal. The Efficent Semi Trailer Transport on Rail Baltica is the launch project for CargoBeamer. CargoBeamer's system is compatible with electrified lines and has a parallel unloading mechanism . Serving the eastern European market though is only made possible due to the system's capacity to act as a gauge changing transfer system. By 2014 CargoBeamer estimates that it will have transferred 700 million tonne-km of freight from road to rail. The company hopes to eventually install 70 terminals that are served by 200 trains across Europe.
Thinking outside the box. Intermodal innovations
International Railway Journal ; 51 , 4 ; 54-58
2011
4 Seiten, 3 Bilder
Article (Journal)
English
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