News

The new Work Plan for the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Core Network Corridor have been published and presented by the European Coordinator in Ocotober 2022, after appraisal and approval by the Member States. Based on the provisions of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013, which establishes Union guidelines for the development of the Trans-European Transport Network, this Work Plan is already the fifth in succession after the first four Work Plans were presented in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2020 respectively. It is a result of an iterative workflow which started in 2014 and was led by the European Coordinator, namely Pat Cox. The workflow was supported by the Member States and relevant stakeholders relevant on the corridor, and a team of consultants responsible for detailed analysis. KombiConsult is lead contractor for the team of consultants for the Scan Med Corridor. Other consultants are GruppoClas, HaCon, Prognos, Ramböll, and HPC.

The Fifth Work Plan can be found on the website of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Core Network Corridor under: Homepage of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor

KombiConsult is an independent consultancy specialized in all aspects of intermodal transport.

The comparison was based on model transport chains. The underlying basic assumptions were defined with the European Commission. The technical and financial input parameters of the technologies considered were recorded in close consultation with the respective providers and users. Comparability was also increased because no financial support for construction, procurement and operation was taken into account.

However, in terms of handling time and thus total transport time, the gantry crane has to admit defeat to newer technologies that enable simultaneous handling of several load units. Here, the horizontal handling technologies for semi-trailers and articulated vehicles between road and rail stand out with particularly short handling times.
Likewise, some wagon technologies enable better loading gauges in many cases than conventional pocket wagons.

In comparison with pure road transport, the cost advantages of intermodal transport chains also become clear with increasing transport distance. The positive effects increase further if the external costs of the transports are also taken into account.

All results must be viewed in a differentiated manner. The chosen model environment allows the comparison of the technologies, but changes in the model parameters are directly reflected in the results.

The summary of the study can be found here. The entire study is available here.

KombiConsult is a consulting company specialized in intermodal transport and supports institutional clients and commercial enterprises in optimising intermodal transport chains.

Your contact person at KombiConsult is:

Jannik Barth
+49 69 24 43 29 31 79
jbarth@kombiconsult.com

More information at: www.intermodal-terminals.eu

About AGORA Intermodal Terminals:

The AGORA Intermodal Terminals Working Group was established in 2011 as a result of an EU project. The approach of the working group is to bring together terminal operators in order to promote the exchange of information and ideas and joint learning with regard to "good practices" in terminal management, increasing terminal capacities and improving interaction with CT operators, rail transport companies and other CT stakeholders. The office of AGORA is managed by KombiConsult GmbH, Frankfurt am Main

A high-quality transport infrastructure, which provides for sufficient capacity and is managed efficiently, is fundamental for the competitiveness of the economies of the Member States of the European Union (EU), the free movement of their populations, the EU integration and the cohesion of the standards of living.

The EU has been contributing to ensure this goal, amongst other instruments, through the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) policy. Against this background the Commission had commissioned separate studies for each of the core network corridors which were first conducted in 2014, followed by a second phase from 2015 to 2017. KombiConsult was involved in two of the nine Core Network Corridors, which are in particular the Scandinavian Mediterranean (Scan Med) Corridor (as lead consultant) and the Rhine Alpine Corridor. Finally, the studies led to three corridor work plans of each of the corridors which were presented by the respective European Coordinator to the Member States.

After the call for follow-up studies has been published at the beginning of 2018, KombiConsult took part with two consortiums in the tendering processes for the Scan Med and Rhine Alpine corridor and again was finally selected by the European Commission to further support the European Coordinators in their work. In the Scan Med Corridor KombiConsult is even lead contractor of a consortium of six consultancies towards the European Commission. The new studies will last from 2018 to 2022, where, amongst others, new versions of the Work Plans will be elaborated.

INEA, the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency, has published the new 2018 CEF Transport Call for proposals. KombiConsult, already successful in several funding projects or in supporting several customers from the transport industry on the application and implementation of funding projects (on national and international level), caught up on recent changes and information on the new Call 2018. With an indicative budget of € 450 million the new call covers funding objectives and priorities supporting the policy orientations of the 3rd Clean Mobility Package. Thus, the focus of financial assistance will be on cross-cutting objectives of transport digitalisation, road safety and multimodality. The funding objectives are in particular:

• Rail interoperability
• European Rail Traffic Management Systems (ERTMS)
• Safe and secure infrastructure
• Innovation and new technologies
• Intelligent Transport Services for road (ITS)
• River Information Services (RIS)
• Multimodal logistics platforms

Within these funding objectives it will be funded “works” over € 1 million financial contribution and “studies” over € 500.000 financial contribution. Applicants eligible for funding are for instance member states, international organisations, joint undertakings, or public or private undertakings established in the Member States. The financial support of connections to and the development of multimodal logistics platforms, in particular the support of infrastructure of freight terminals servicing combined transport operations as defined in Directive 92/106/EEC ("combined transport terminals") have newly been added.

Deadline for this call 2018 is 24 October 2018.

Further general information can be found on the official INEA homepage at 2018 CEF Call for proposals  or in the KombiConsult info presentation. For concrete projects KombiConsult is also at your disposal:

The Third Work Plan for the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Core Network Corridor have been published and presented by the European Coordinator in April 2018 for appraisal and approval by the Member States. Based on the provisions of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013, which establishes Union guidelines for the development of the Trans-European Transport Network, this Work Plan is the third in succession after the first and second Work Plans presented in 2015 and 2016 respectively. It is a result of an iterative workflow which started in 2014 and was led by the European Coordinator, namely Pat Cox. The workflow was supported by the Member States and relevant stakeholders relevant on the corridor, and a team of consultants responsible for detailed analysis. KombiConsult was lead contractor for the team of consultants. Other consultants were GruppoClas, HaCon, Prognos, Ramböll, and HPC.

The Third Work Plan can be found on the website of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Core Network Corridor under: Homepage of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor

KombiConsult is an independent consultancy specialized in all aspects of intermodal transport.

The 16th transport logistic, the leading International Exhibition for Logistics, Mobility, IT and Supply Chain Management, takes place from 09 to 12 May 2017 in Munich. KombiConsult will again participate and would like to welcome you on the common stand of the Hessian Agency in Hall B5, Stand No. 217/318.

At the beginning the group met on the venues of its members without any organizational framework. But to increase the productivity of the group, the members established the Terminal Interest Group AGORA as a permanent working group to meet on a regularly basis. The group is supported by a secretary, which is run by KombiConsult.

Over the years the terminal operators developed and exchanged intensively a variety of so-called "good practices" (applied "sharing economy), e.g. how to improve the productivity and efficiency of intermodal terminals. Amongst others, there is to name the implementation of OCR-gates, the establishment of standardized procedures, the coordination and disposition of the "last mile", the implementation of the ILU-code for the identification of continental loading units, the data exchange with intermodal operators and railway undertakings ("digitalization"), the implementation of key factors, common trainings of employees, the exchange of innovations as well as the development of supplementary services.

(from left to right: Hansjörg Halter, Ralf Dahlinger, Antje Falk, Hans Pieper, Erich Possegger, Robert Groiss, Georg Wurz, Pieter Förrer, Franz Frisch, Berthold Jesse, Ulrich Altmann, Christina Wölfert, Klaus-Uwe Sondermann)

More information can be found on the common webpage www.intermodal-terminals.eu.

Contact: AGORA Secretary
c/o Kombiconsult GmbH, Klaus-Uwe Sondermann
Zum Laurenburger Hof 76, 60594 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49.69.244 32 93 172;
Mail agora@intermodal-terminals.eu

The European Energy Efficiency Directive 2012/27/EU, which has been implemented in e.g. Germany with the Energy Services Act (EDL-G) into national law, prescribes that non-SME companies have to carry out an energy audit by the EN16247-1 until 05.12.2015. By that most of the terminals in Germany and other European Member States are affected.

HaCon, KombiConsult and thinkstep therefore offer a CO2-analysis "of a piece": Think Step has an equivalent qualification recognized by the BAFA who together with the professionals from HaCon and KombiConsult specialized in combined transport terminals and rail operations, can perform an energy audit in accordance with DIN EN 16247. By this combined expertise not only the legal minimum requirements are met, but the terminal also receives the functional analysis of all processes and its "CO2 footprint". The latter include not only its own energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, but in particular the interfaces to the associated transport operators. "According to experience, it is just the interfaces at which frictional losses occur that lead to increased consumption and negative environmental impacts, so that an integrated approach is necessary," says Klaus-Uwe Sondermann of KombiConsult.

The Intermodal Terminal Eco-Efficiency Calculator (ITEC) has already been used at six demonstration terminals and presented at the transport logistic in Munich to the professional public. While all the operational processes and their impact on energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions were already in the previous version, the current release also includes the business-related indicators. The result thus not only meets the requirements of DIN EN 16258, but is also certified to comply with audit needs of DIN EN16247.
ITEC has been developed and demonstrated under the European R & D project EcoHubs.
 

KombiConsult GmbH, Frankfurt am Main, is the specialist consulting firm in intermodal logistics solutions, www.kombiconsult.com
HaCon Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH, Hanover is a software and consulting company with a focus on multimodal solutions for rail traffic, www.hacon.de
Think Step AG, Leinfelden-Echterdingen, specializes in energy and environmental consultancy, www.thinkstep.com

Contact:
KombiConsult GmbH
Klaus-Uwe Sondermann
Zum Laurenburger Hof 76
60594 Frankfurt am Main
Tel. +49 69 244 32 93 172
Fax +49 69 244 32 93 179
E-Mail usondermann@kombiconsult.com

KombiConsult seeks to keep the database updated and to extend furthermore. If terminal operators should miss "their" terminal or can provide updated information in the meanwhile, they are invited to request an entry or update via an integrated form.

Access to the interactive database and information on the respective intermodal terminals is provided at www.intermodal-terminals.eu/database.

In the AGORA group operators of important European intermodal terminals are working together in the continuous improvement of their terminals' efficiency.

KombiConsult is an independent consultancy specialized in all aspects of intermodal transport.

Two projects, one goal: How can the railways support economic prosperity and liveability in Europe's long term future?

On behalf of the European Commission, the two research projects LivingRAIL and SPIDER PLUS developed mobility visions and roadmaps for 2050 where electrified rail takes a central role in passenger and freight mobility to achieve the European Commission's Transport White Paper mode share targets. In a joint conference, both projects presented and discussed their findings. Recommendations embrace railway investments, technologies and operations, European, national and local policies, spatial planning and the future of our cities. Brief presentations from LivingRAIL and SPIDER PLUS introduced concepts to strengthen the European economy and society with high capacity and customer oriented railways. The meeting also finally gave floor to a panel of high-ranking experts from the railways, policy, environment and social affairs.

The half day event, which took place in Brussels in the Bibliothèque Solvay, was hosted by Michael Cramer MEP, Chairman of the Committee for Transport and Tourism, and was chaired by Prof. Werner Rothengatter (KIT).

Further details are provided on the project website: www.spiderplus-project.eu

"Green" transport chains become more and more important. In this context, intermodal terminals are key drivers for competitiveness and sustainability of multimodal transport. However, within the calculation of the transport chains' carbon footprint the terminals have been neglected so far.

The ecological efficiency and performance of intermodal terminals depends on layout, technology and operational processes. A realistic and detailed consideration of these parameters is now possible for the first time, making use of the "Intermodal Terminal Eco-Efficiency Calculator (ITEC)". This tool has been developed by HaCon, KombiConsult and thinkstep (formerly PE International) within the scope of the EcoHubs project, co-funded by the EU.

ITEC allows for

• Calculating energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) performance of intermodal rail/road terminals including all relevant operations;
• Identifying the terminal's "hot spots", i.e. the main energy consumers and processes;
• Pointing out the impact of "greening measures" already implemented and anticipates effects of planned measures.

ITEC has already been applied successfully to several European terminals. To receive further information, please contact:

• Mr Klaus-Uwe Sondermann, KombiConsult, usondermann@kombiconsult.com or
• Dr. Johannes Hildebrandt, HaCon, jan.hildebrandt@hacon.de

Please take also notice of the ITEC product sheet attached here: ITEC factsheet

In this context, six Round Tables performed in the scope of the COSMOS project in Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia, have also demonstrated the large potential of the sector and its innovative actors who are prepared for the future needs.

To further debate on these problems and to set new opportunities and solutions, the final conference of the COSMOS project was initiated on 12 June 2014 in Vienna (Austria).The final conference convened high-level representatives and stakeholders of the intermodal industry in South East Europe, who presented and discussed recent achievements and future prospects of intermodal transport in the countries concerned.

The conference documentation is available here .

The meeting was moderated by COSMOS project manager Uwe Sondermann (KombiConsult, Frankfurt am Main) who concluded the following results which were agreed upon with invited participants:

• Intermodal or combined (CT) transport in the Czech Republic accounts for 8.2 million net tons in 2012
• It is dominated by maritime transport (84% of the volume) of the seaports of Bremerhaven/Hamburg, partly Rotterdam and Koper
• Container transport by barge & RoLa services don´t play a role
• The growth path of the intermodal transport volume (+250% in last 12 years) could be continued in the years to come (+5% p.a. until 2020) if certain actions are taken by the sector:
• Shuttle train operation concept - like in the maritime sector - also extended to further continental routes, and linking domestic antennas, e.g. with Moravia region;
• Coordinated terminal investment and „neutral" access for multi users;
• Investment into intermodal equipment by road hauliers as their „commitment" potentially supported with another easy-to-use State Aid;
  Training of personal engaged with transport decisions on the merits of intermodal transport.
• Higher weight for all road vehicles (48 t) is counterproductive for development of (continental) CT, in particular since only minimum incentives (exemption from vehicle tax and weekend driving ban) are applied in addition.
• Infrastructure investments to remove identified bottlenecks are:
• Connectivity to RFC/TEN-T network to be improved, since main corridors cover the countries industrial and population centres;
• Almost all lines with class D4 (22.5 t/axle) and loading profile P/C 78/402, despite one section where options are identified;

As a result of the Round Table and further stakeholder consultation the 2nd Intermodal Road Map, now for Czech Republic, has been elaborated within the time frame of the COSMOS project. The Intermodal Road Map for Czech Republic can be downloaded in the media area.

COSMOS stands for Cooperative Solutions for Managing Optimized Services and is the reply to the market needs for improved cooperative intermodal freight services in South-East Europe. Further Round Table meetings will be organised within the COSMOS project in Czech Re-public, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia in the next 12 months. For more information please also visit www.intermodal-cosmos.eu.

The Round Table convened high-level representatives of the Slovenian intermodal industry and stakeholders who discussed recent achievements and future prospects of intermodal transport in Slovenia and achieved a consent about the general growth perspective and relevant measures that will be necessary to foster the increase of intermodal rail services.

Participants were representatives of the Ministry of Transport, the Public Agency for Railway, the infrastructure unit and the cargo division of Slovenske železnice, Adria Transport - a joint venture of the Port of Koper and GKE, the intermodal operators Adria Kombi and Metrans, the Port of Koper Authority as well as the Forwarders Association / Association of Chamber of Commerce and the COSMOS Partners Gysev Cargo and KombiConsult.

The meeting was moderated by COSMOS project manager Uwe Sondermann (KombiConsult, Frankfurt am Main) who concluded the following results:

Participants enjoyed the lively discussion and common objective to draw conclusion on measures for the further improvement of the intermodal sector in Slovenia
Participants agreed to the major findings of the draft "road map" that was prepared by COSMOS partners and which are:

• 6 per cent increase of the total annual intermodal volume (2011/2010)
• Strategic position of Ljubljana as a rail hub on the cross roads between maritime and continental transport flows
• Port of Koper as access port to Balkan countries, Austria, Hungary Czech and Slovak Republic
• Basically trade-oriented economy with skilled workforce

Participants support the general growth path of the sector in Slovenia, but the realisation would require some work
Measures of primary importance are:

• Koper - Divaca 500 -> 550 m train length by improving one station
• Electrification Pragersko - Hodos
• Removal of 20 tons axle load sections (punctual measures)
• Koper Divaca 2nd rail line

As a result of the Round Table and further stakeholder consultation the 1st Intermodal Road Map for Slovenia has been elaborated within the time frame of the COSMOS project. The Intermodal Road Map for Slovenia can be downloaded in the media area.

COSMOS stands for Cooperative Solutions for Managing Optimized Services and is the reply to the market needs for improved cooperative intermodal freight services in South-East Europe. Further Round Table meetings will be organised within the COSMOS project in Czech Re-public, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia in the next 12 months. For more information please also visit www.intermodal-cosmos.eu.

A delegation headed by the president of the Bulgarian Cluster Green Freight Transport, Simeon Ananiev, and the COSMOS project partners have jointly discussed the challenges for the intermodal sector in Bulgaria in the Higher Transport University " Todor Kableshkov " Sofia on February 27, 2013.

The meeting that was moderated by COSMOS project manager Uwe Sondermann (KombiConsult) concluded a common understanding of the prerequisites for establishing an intermodal sector in Bulgaria. The short statements of the participants demonstrated that the first steps have been done in the right direction, e.g. the increase of the market share of private railway undertakings in freight transport or the Yana terminal, a first new generation intermodal terminal that was created in the vicinity of the capital of Sofia. But also the partners identified significant deficits, such as the lack of intermodal equipment.

The essential next step for the Bulgarian transport sector is to establish a platform or cluster of mutual trust where freight transports are bundled in order to form regular domestic or international block trains. The respective project managers Stoyan Dinev and Uwe Sondermann were commissioned by the parties to organize a further exchange of ideas.

The 2012 Report on Combined Transport in Europe has just been published by UIC and its Combined Transport Group.

This periodic publication, researched and prepared on behalf of UIC by KombiConsult, is the fourth in the series (previous reports focused on the years 2005, 2007 and 2009). It addresses issues such as

• domestic and international intermodal transport data for 30 European countries 
• growth forecasts for domestic and international combined transport,
• market structures
• business models
• market shares per traffic segment etc
• combined transport's contribution to the overall economy.

In addition, the 2012 version of the Report features:

• an Origin-Destination matrix for the main routes served in accompanied and unaccompanied transport
• traffic data for the main European ports
• an analysis of the carbon footprint of the industry
• an analysis of the most striking developments in the combined transport industry for the period under review.

The Report is available at the UIC Homepage under: 2012 Report on Combined Transport in Europe.

KombiConsult, already successful in supporting several customers from the transport industry on the application and implementation of Macro Polo projects, applied in the last call with a project called "COSMOS" as initiator and coordinator itself.

The CREAM project and DIOMIS studies on intermodal rail freight transport in South East Europe (SEE) have shown large market potential for seamless intermodal transport chains on dedicated pan European transport corridors or sections thereof. The two recent projects, too, showed a large discrepancy between the requirements of shippers and logistics service providers and the usual product railways and intermodal operators could offer to them. Against that background the COSMOS-project aims at improving this situation. The members of the consortium are representing a mix of experienced

• Intermodal operators: AdriaKombi, Bohemiakombi, Crokombi
• Railway undertakings: DB Schenker Bulgaria, DB Schenker Romania, Gysev Cargo, Lokomotion
• Terminal operators: eco Logistics
• Logistics service providers: DB Schenker RLF, and
• Consultancies: HaCon, KombiConsult.

After the project was successfully selected for funding, it started on 18 September 2012 during the kick-off-meeting in München.

The interactive intermodal terminal database, which has been developed within the framework of the AGORA project and was launched in September 2010, started with data on terminals operated by AGORA-partners. It's the aim to expand the database geographically and from the content perspective continuously. Next to the mapping of the location, contact details are displayed and users get access to infrastructural and operative indicators of the terminals. With an improved layout and additional features, KombiConsult, manager of the intermodal terminal database, was the first to provide a European platform for these important infrastructure installations. At the same time with the relaunch now information on over 140 intermodal terminals are presented.

KombiConsult seeks to keep the database updated and to extend continuously. If terminal operators should miss "their" terminal or can provide updated information in the meanwhile, they are invited to request an entry or update via an integrated form.

Access to the interactive database and information on the respective intermodal terminals is provided at www.intermodal-terminals.eu/database.

In the AGORA group operators of important European intermodal terminals are working together in the continuous improvement of their terminals' efficiency.

KombiConsult is an independent consultancy specialized in all aspects of intermodal transport.

KombiConsult, already successful in supporting several customers from the transport industry on the application and implementation of Macro Polo projects, caught up on recent changes and information on the new Call 2011 during the Information Day 2011 in Brussels. The new Call is estimated to be published early October and shall be open till 16 January 2012.

The Marco Polo programme stands for an initial subsidy of up to € 2 per 500 tkm traffic shift from road to other environmental friendly transport modes as rail and waterways. In the last Call 2010, which has had an available budget of € 63.54 million, a total of 31 of 101 proposals were chosen to sign Grant Agreements with the European Commission, eventually receiving a committed budget of € 53.34 million. Now, in the new Call 2011, a budget of € 56.87 million shall be available, meaning that about 30 projects can be financed again.

Political priorities are increasingly maritime projects, for which a certain share of the budget is exclusively held available. On the other hand a special evaluation for maritime projects will be put in place, concentrating on the prevention of distortion of competition. Further changes in the new Call 2011 will be the awarding of "Bonus points": for projects showing social benefits, for complex tri-modal projects with intermodal integration of logistic chains, and for maritime projects reducing polluting emissions. Moreover modal-shift projects must now have duration of minimum 2 years.

Further general information can be found on the official Marco Polo homepage at http://ec.europa.eu/marcopolo. For concrete modal shift projects KombiConsult is always at your disposal.

The 13th International Exhibition for Logistics, Telematics and Transport, presenting the entire world of transport for logistics services and telematics, inhouse transport and materials flow as well as freight transport systems, takes place from 10 to 13 May 2011 in Munich.

KombiConsult will again participate and would like to welcome you on the common stand of the Hessian Agency in Hall B3, Stand No. 213/316.

The 2010 Report on Combined Transport in Europe has just been published by UIC and its Combined Transport Group.

This periodic publication, researched and prepared on behalf of UIC by KombiConsult and K&P Transport Consultants, is the third in the series (previous reports focused on the years 2005 and 2007). It addresses issues such as

• growth forecasts for domestic and international combined transport,
• market structures
• business models
• market shares per traffic segment etc.

It also attempts to quantify combined transport's contribution to the overall economy.

The 2010 Report on Combined Transport in Europe is available in the media area, but also at the UIC Homepage.

In recent years, European intermodal terminal operators have been working together successfully in several projects (amongst others DIOMIS and AGORA) to share experiences, how to improve the capacity, performance, efficiency, quality and profitability of intermodal terminals ("good practices").

After the expiry of the EU-funding Project AGORA this good collaboration shall be continued in the form of a permanent working group. The name of the working group will be "Terminal Interest Group" (synonym: AGORA group).

The objectives of this cooperation include:

• Exchange of „good practices".
• Standardization of processes ("Quality Label").
• Development of a standardized set of key performance indicators.
• Exchange of information's on innovations, definition of technical standards as well as qualification of staff and trainings.
• Networking between participants in intermodal transport
• Raising awareness on the role of terminals in intermodal supply chains;
• Improvement of the availability of market relevant information and the transparency and accessibility of combined transport terminal services for third parties;
• Encouragement of initiatives in the interest of intermodal operators.
• Improvement of data exchange with partners and customers.
• Internet platform (www.intermodal-terminals.eu).

Terminal operators are welcome to contact one of the member companies for further information concerning AGORA membership.

This announcement was released on the AGORA Final Conference in Frankfurt on 9th of November 2010 in the presence of 40 representatives of European intermodal terminals, ministries of transport of Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Slovakia were as well as associations of the intermodal community.

www.intermodal-terminals.eu

As a benefit of the European Research project CREAM („Customer-driven Railfreight services on a European mega-corridor based on Advanced business and operating Models"), about 950 mill. tkm will be shifted from road to rail on the corridor Rotterdam/Antwerp - Greece/Turkey in the current year. This is more than 400% than expected at the beginning of the project in 2007, explained the consulting companies in charge, HaCon and KombiConsult, on the final conference on 4 November 2010, in Brussels.

During the four years of the project, a total of 2,2 billion tkm were transported on rail on this corridor, additionally. This is equal to 115.000 truck-loads and 145.000 t CO2 savings.

25 companies from 12 countries participated in CREAM, with the aim to increase the effectiveness of rail. This was achieved by e.g. the use of multisystem locos, shortened border crossing procedures, alternative routings via short sea, a train monitoring system with status quo information, and innovative technologies for carrying ordinary semi trailers in unaccompanied intermodal transport.

www.cream-project.eu.

A detailed press release can be downloaded in the media area.

CREAM has paved the way to revitalize the rail freight transport on the European corridor from Benelux to Turkey. Especially the technological developments presented at the InnoTrans 2010 are a big step forward to access new markets for rail transport. That was the general feedback from a delegation of the European Commission visiting the CREAM stand at the InnoTrans.

During the official presentation to the Project Officer Dr. Theodor Schlickmann from the EU-Commission (DG MOVE - Directorate General for Mobility and Transport), the respective CREAM partner companies explained the new solutions and their positive impact on future rail freight transport.

Thanks to CREAM, a new software solution for train monitoring is now available. It incorporates real-time information from the infrastructure companies or via newly developed GPS devices. Furthermore, hardware components, such as an innovative semitrailer for plate glass transport, a dual power locomotive, and a new simple and low-cost solution to load non-cranable semi-trailers on standard waggons have been developed within the project which has been coordinated by the Hannover-based software and consulting specialist HaCon.

The highlights presented at the InnoTrans:

• NavMaster - Intelligent GPS tracking and RodoTAG - Mileage counting for freight waggons - Eureka Navigation Solutions
• Train Monitor - The integrated IT system for real-time and ex-post train monitoring - HaCon
• FLOATRAILER - The first float glass trailer which can be fully integrated in intermodal production systems - Offergeld Logistik
• ISU - The unique handling technology for road-rail transhipment of non-cranable semi-trailer - Rail Cargo Austria & Ökombi
• Futura - The innovative dual-power loco concept - by Voith Turbo Lokomotivtechnik

www.cream-project.eu.

The interactive intermodal terminal database, presenting information on terminals of all AGORA -Partners in a first step, was launched today.

Information on intermodal terminals is required by intermodal operators, customers of intermodal transport services and the "interested community" of intermodal supporters. Several sources of information exist:

• The intermodal terminal operators themselves
• Ports or logistics centres in which the terminals are located
• Companies to whom the terminals belong
• Regions or countries in which they are located
• Intermodal operators or other institutions

Each of these sources provide a specific set of information in various formats and actuality. With this site, operated by KombiConsult with the support of AGORA-Partners the approach is to provide a single access to uniform information on intermodal transport terminals in Europe.

Starting with the data on terminals operated by AGORA-Partners we seek to expand the database geographically and from the content perspective continuously.

To have access to the interactive database, which has been developed within the framework of the AGORA project, and to gain information of the respective terminals of all AGORA-Partners, please click here: www.intermodal-terminals.eu.

2010 is the final year of the CREAM project. CREAM offers several opportunities to learn more about the project achievements. Next are:

• InnoTrans 2010 trade fair on 21-24 September in Berlin - you will find CREAM in hall 4.1 at stand 102
• Final CREAM conference - this event will be held at the beginning of November 2010 in Brussels. Invitations and information on the conference program will be distributed in September.

The 12th International Exhibition for Logistics, Telematics and Transport, presenting the entire world of transport for logistics services and telematics, inhouse transport and materials flow as well as freight transport systems, takes place from 12 to 15 May 2009 in Munich.

KombiConsult will again participate and would like to welcome you on the common stand of the Hessian Agency in Hall B3, Stand No. 213/316.

In November 2006, when the Report on Combined Transport (CT) in Europe 2005 was published as part of the DIOMIS project, it has found approval of the intermodal industry. As it was intended to update this report every two years, we herewith present the 2008 edition to cover the situation of CT in 2007, with expanded sources and coverage.

The full report can be downloaded in the media area. For more information about the follow-up DIOMIS II and some other reports, click here: UIC DIOMIS.

The objective of the Conference held at the UIC on 17 April was to present the Agenda 2015 for Combined Transport in Europe to the transport industry.

Agenda 2015 for Combined Transport in Europe is the concluding report of the DIOMIS study (developing infrastructure and operating models for intermodal shift) carried out by KombiConsult and K+P Transport Consultants under UIC guidance.

The Agenda 2015 as well as all other results of the DIOMIS-study can be downloaded in the media area. For more information you are also invited to visit the project website under UIC DIOMIS.

Within the framework of the BRAVO project, combined transport operators, railway undertakings and other partners have worked on the improvement of the rail freight transport through the Brenner Corridor for the last three years and have reached remarkable results.

At the final BRAVO conference in München, on 17th and 18th of April 2007 the partners want to report and discuss on how this has been achieved in detail, on the consequences for the clients and on how these results can be linked to a European Masterplan.

We invite you to participate in the conference, detailed agenda and practical information can be found here, and ask you to return the reply form to the UIRR. Register today...

CREAM connects Northsee and Bosporus with seamless railfreight services. Since January 1st 2007 25 companies and research institutes are working on improving the international rail freight transport on the European Mega-Corridor between the BeNeLux countries and Turkey as well as Greece.
Due to the enlargement of the European Union and the increasing distribution of industrial production sites in recent years this corridor is counted one of the trans-European axis with the highest growth potential in freight transport. It is planned to develop and demonstrate multiple seamless and road-competitive relations in rail freight and intermodal transport. According to the market requirements of the logistics industry new offers will be developed for the entire corridor as well as for parts of it between economic centres, e.g. in Germany and Romania. The involved partners expect to achieve a modal shift from road to rail of about 200 million tonne-kilometres during the three year project.

The partners are carrying out the works to achieve this ambitious target in the framework of the CREAM-Project, which is supported by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Energy and Transport (DG TREN), in the framework of the 6th Framework Programme. The European Commission has selected the project because it builds bridges between different European regions and transfers best-practices for seamless rail freight services to the new Member States and Candidate Countries.
The companies engaged in CREAM have proved in recent years that this formular works. Based on that know-how the CREAM-Partners intend to increase the reliability and sustainability of rail freight services on this corridor by developing and demonstrating a comprehensive corridor quality management system for the entire corridor.

In order to assure a high effectiveness towards this primary target the system shall be supported by a couple of R&D (Research and Development) components. Among others the following is foreseen:

• advanced business - and innovative train production models to attract different target markets,
• interoperable rail traction by multi-system locomotives and improved border crossing procedures,
• alternative routings using „motorways of the sea",
• development of an advanced train monitoring system allowing railways customers real time information,
• innovative technologies for the transport of temperature controlled cargoes and semi-trailers in unaccompanied intermodal transport.

The project is managed by the German consultancy companies HaCon, Hanover and KombiConsult, Frankfurt am Main.

The acronym CREAM is standing for: ‘Customer-driven Rail-freight services on a European mega-corridor based on Advanced business and operating Models'.

Contact for further information:
Rainer Mertel, Geschäftsführer, KombiConsult GmbH, Ludwig-Landmann-Straße 405, D-60486 Frankfurt am Main,

Tel: +49-69-79505140, Fax: +49-69-79505179, e-mail: rmertel@kombiconsult.com

Quick Facts:
Project Management: HaCon, KombiConsult
Budget: 24.9 million Euro

Partners:
HaCon Ingenieurgesellschaft (Co-ordinator)
Balnak Logistics Group
Betuwe Route Exploitatie Maatschappij (BREM)
Bulgarian State Railways - EAD
CFR Marfa - Romanian National Railway Company for Rail Freight Transportation
Delft University of Technology / OTB Research Institute
Hellenic Railways
Hungarian State Railways Corporation
Intercontainer Austria
Knorr-Bremse Systeme für Schienenfahrzeuge
KombiConsult
Kombiverkehr Deutsche Gesellschaft für kombinierten Güterverkehr
Lokomotion Gesellschaft für Schienentraktion
Macedonian Railways
National Technical University of Athens
Rail Cargo Austria
Railion Deutschland
Railion Nederland
Rail Traction Company
Serbian Railways
Slovenian Railways
Stinnes AG (DB Logistics)
Transport Route Wagon (TRW)
Turkish State Railways
Union Internationale Des Chemins De Fer

Project web-site: www.cream-project.eu

The press release can be downloaded in the media area.