In the current phase of the EU-funded HERMES project, Kiruna Wagon (Sweden) is constructing a demonstrator wagon and unloading station for Iberpotash’s salt transports in Spanish Catalonia. The objective of the project is to bring European rail freight to a new level of reliability, flexibility and productivity.
Based on the ideas of Kiruna Wagon’s patent pending modular logistics system, the wagon developed in the HERMES project is using a standard chassis together with different, tailor made load carriers that can easily be exchanged, depending on the type of cargo to be transported.
The load carriers are designed for smooth transhipping between rail chassis made for different track gauges, and from trains to road trucks and ships, see the figure below. Loaded and unloaded load carriers can also be stored on the ground, while waiting to be shipped.
The full integration of rail freight wagons in seamless and effective door-to-door operations are measures that would increase the efficiency and competitiveness of rail freight considerably.
Bengt Bolsöy, Technical Manager at Kiruna Wagon, commented on the project: “To fulfil our task of really taking a leap in sustainable bulk logistics, we are cooperating down to the smallest details of the wagon and the system. All partners in the HERMES project contribute with state of the art solutions and we are convinced that we will contribute to making Europe more competitive as well as more sustainable.”
In the next step of the project, Kiruna Wagon’s demonstrator wagon and unloading station will be tested in Catalonia in Spain.
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