Intermodal rail freight Twin hub Network Northwest Europe

Programme 2007 - 2013 North West Europe

Date of latest update: 2021-04-10

Description

Description (EN):

The AIM of the project is to make intermodal rail transport in. from and to NWE more competitive. in particular between the Dutch and the Belgian seaports and European inland terminals. in this way creating the conditions to shift flows from the road to the rail sector. providing in more sustainable and robust transport and a higher network connectivity and territorial cohesion within NWE. The central configuration to achieve this aim is the Twin hub network. a transnational rail service network. Its implementation to improve intermodal performances is the MAIN OBJECTIVE of the project. The objective refers to 1) promising networks. which could be implemented on the short to long term. and 2) a pilot (demonstration) network with three Twin hub trains to be implemented within the project period. The Twin hub network connects seaports with inland terminals (e.g. France. Germany. UK; ? App. 2). The general idea is to move Rotterdam flows in Antwerp trains to areas in which these trains have or could have a strong market position. Antwerp flows go along with Rotterdam trains to regions where Rotterdam is or could be well represented. The smaller seaports improve their rail performance by getting more attached to the train services of both large ports. Inland terminals send their load units to Dutch and Belgian ports in joint instead of separate trains. The central logic of a hub-and-spoke network is to let smaller flows benefit from scale and scope advantages (large trainloads and high transport frequencies. more connections and a higher infrastructure utilisation); flows which for such reasons cannot be moved by direct trains (App. 3). Most intermodal rail flows are too small for direct trains. also – and maybe surprisingly – those from and to large ports as Antwerp and Rotterdam. The Twin hub cooperation generates more advantages than separated hub-and-spoke configurations. as the service region of the hubs is extended to a larger area.

Achievements (EN):

Final Report Identification of promising Twin hub networks The objective of the first work package is to identify potential promising partial Twin hub networks in North West Europe which already exist to establish the foundation for the project, as well as to show the magnitude of the modal shift and the improved rail network connectivity. A network is promising if its door-to-door transport costs are competitive with the reference mode (in most cases = road transport), while the transport quality, in particular transport frequency, meets the needs of shippers. The final report of Work Package 1 can be found under: http://www.twinhubnetwork.eu/documents/WP1_report_Identification_promising_Twin_Hub_networks.pdf Final report General Functional Description Twin Hub Order Booking system Within WP 2 an interactive booking information system has been developed. It is a joint system for the operators in the project. Interactive means that information can be shared at a deeper level than a system, which is only interconnected at the surface. This development will improve the load planning, matching the train capacity of one operator with the flows of another and vice versa. The final report is available under: http://www.twinhubnetwork.eu/documents/Twin_Hub_order_booking_system_final_report.pdf For other Reports and publications see: http://www.twinhubnetwork.eu/reportsandpublications.php

Website: http://www.nweurope.eu/

Expected Results (EN):

The central actions of the project are: a) to identify promising trains services in Twin hub networks; b) to implement a pilot Twin hub network; more precisely, to operate three pilot trains, acquire load units, organise container exchange between these trains at a common hub (Antwerp or Rotterdam), and develop and operate a joint booking information system. The operators choose one of the networks identified; c) to evaluate whether/which new rail infrastructure is required on the long term to improve the performance of the network, spreading the benefits to a wider region, and to discuss the findings with key decision-makers in the field of infrastructure planning. The discussion takes place in round table conferences; d) to show the societal benefits of the Twin hub network in the pilot and a later phase. The output related to the first action is a list of promising Twin hub train and bundling service networks and their performances. An intermediate output is the modal shift due to the improved rail transport. The main output of the second action is to have efficiently transported load units in pilot trains during three pilot years. From thereon or earlier, the operations cover their costs completely. Another output is a joint interactive booking information system. The output of the third main action is to have interested key decision-makers for infrastructure, which increases the competitiveness of the Twin hub network, such as the building of a hub terminal in Rotterdam. Roundtable conferences organised by the project are the forum for presentations and discussions. The societal benefits refer to the pilot and later phase(s) of the Twin hub network, and are to strengthen the commitment of key stakeholders for this network.

Thematic information

Transport and mobility Logistics and freight transport Improving transport connections

Partners (13)

Lead Partner: Technische Universiteit Delft

Address: Stevinweg 1, 2628CN Delft, Netherlands

Legal status: n/a

ACTS Nederland BV (HUSA)

Name: ACTS Nederland BV (HUSA)

Address: Parallelweg 21, 5223 AL s-hertogenbosch, Netherlands

Legal status: n/a

IMS Rail Switzerland

Name: IMS Rail Switzerland

Address: Margarethenstrasse 38, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland

Legal status: n/a

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Name: Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Address: Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium

Legal status: n/a

TX Logistik AG

Name: TX Logistik AG

Address: Rhoendorfer Str. 85, 53604 Bad Honnef, Germany

Legal status: n/a

Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)

Name: Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)

Address: Gotthard-Fransz-Str. 8, building 50.38, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany

Legal status: n/a

Erasmus Universiteit

Name: Erasmus Universiteit

Address: Burg. Oudlaan 50, 3062 PA Rotterdam, Netherlands

Legal status: n/a

Zeeland Seaports

Name: Zeeland Seaports

Address: P.O. Box 132, 4530 AC Terneuzen, Netherlands

Legal status: n/a

Ab Ovo Nederland BV

Name: Ab Ovo Nederland BV

Address: Barbizonlaan 75, 2908 ME Capelle a/d Ijssel, Netherlands

Legal status: n/a

Havenbedrijf Rotterdam N.V.

Name: Havenbedrijf Rotterdam N.V.

Address: Wilhelminakade 909, 3072 AP Rotterdam, Netherlands

Legal status: n/a

Nieuwenhuis Rail Expertise

Name: Nieuwenhuis Rail Expertise

Address: Koningin Emmalaan 17, 4141EA Leerdam, Netherlands

Legal status: n/a

NEA Transport and training

Name: NEA Transport and training

Address: Bredewater 26, 2715 CA Zoetermeer, Netherlands

Legal status: n/a

John G. Russel (Transport) Limited

Name: John G. Russel (Transport) Limited

Address: Containerbase, Gartsherrie Road, ML5 2DY Coatbridge, United Kingdom

Legal status: n/a

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

ACTS Nederland BV (HUSA)

Intermodal rail freight Twin hub Network Northwest Europe

Partners and Projects info

IMS Rail Switzerland

Intermodal rail freight Twin hub Network Northwest Europe

Partners and Projects info

Technische Universiteit Delft

Intermodal rail freight Twin hub Network Northwest Europe

Partners and Projects info

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Intermodal rail freight Twin hub Network Northwest Europe

Partners and Projects info

TX Logistik AG

Intermodal rail freight Twin hub Network Northwest Europe

Partners and Projects info

Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)

Intermodal rail freight Twin hub Network Northwest Europe

Partners and Projects info

Erasmus Universiteit

Intermodal rail freight Twin hub Network Northwest Europe

Partners and Projects info

Zeeland Seaports

Intermodal rail freight Twin hub Network Northwest Europe

Partners and Projects info

Ab Ovo Nederland BV

Intermodal rail freight Twin hub Network Northwest Europe

Partners and Projects info

Havenbedrijf Rotterdam N.V.

Intermodal rail freight Twin hub Network Northwest Europe

Partners and Projects info

Nieuwenhuis Rail Expertise

Intermodal rail freight Twin hub Network Northwest Europe

Partners and Projects info

NEA Transport and training

Intermodal rail freight Twin hub Network Northwest Europe

Partners and Projects info

John G. Russel (Transport) Limited

Intermodal rail freight Twin hub Network Northwest Europe

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Intermodal rail freight Twin hub Network Northwest Europe

Project acronym: ITN

Project start date: 2010-01-01

Project end date: 2015-09-30

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 5 704 756.08

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 2 804 426.04

Co-financing sources:

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2007 - 2013 North West Europe

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2015-12-01

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

114 / 114 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

1 104 / 1 104 (100%)

Notes on the data

Information provided by the programme and collected from programme's website

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Intermodal rail freight Twin hub Network Northwest Europe

Description

Thematic information

Partners (13)

Partners map

Summary

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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