Feed train and preloading concept

Rail transports in regional traffic can be easily represented in an attractive and economical light if quantities are moved onto the cost structure of road transports. Chemion Logistik illustrates this with several concepts that concentrate on operating the first and last mile. With the aim of making transport by rail an interesting alternative to transport by road, Chemion combines regional transport with time-intensive services near to the location which are pre-carriage or post-carriage transport. And in the development of logistical solutions the logistician views the entire process with the aim of positioning it differently and arranging it more efficiently and economically. The result: convincing operating concepts for regional individual wagon transports, which mean a clear advantage for the customer.

Regional shuttle for regular transports

Chemion implements the concept of the operative execution of rail transports in addition to the offer of trackside logistical services, for example in the workday rail shuttle service between the CHEMPARK locations of Leverkusen, Dormagen and Krefeld. Regular rail traffic has been operated since 2004 and combines the locations with each other through several daily transports over the approx. eighty kilometre long stretch as a standard. After the part shuttle arrives in Krefeld, Leverkusen and in Dormagen the train is split up and the individual wagons are placed exactly under the respective filling point corresponding to the load plan and shunted at the customers’ loading points. After loading the individual wagons are weighed and are then transported to the plant boundary in shunting units. The outgoing goods are checked here according to hazardous goods regulations and are given their accompanying documents. The shuttle offers all companies at the locations the possibility of processing regular transports by rail, linking logistical services close to the location with these transports and in this respect reducing the coordination expenditure for these services.

Rail network for economical rail traffic

In order to enable further synergies with the location shuttle for customers, Chemion has developed a regional concept in which other customers can also be integrated outside of the locations: the three locations are connected in this way in a rail network which Chemion has linked with other railway transport companies. Therefore pre-carriage and post-carriage transports can also be implemented apart from the shuttle using the same equipment. In this respect, for example, a direct connection can be made with several stations in Rhineland, in the Ruhr area as well as in Sauerland. On the whole, Chemion operates per individual wagon 28 destinations covering a radius of around 200 kilometres. It is possible at the respective stations to integrate other wagons in the train or to remove individual wagons from the train in order to transport them onwards from there in the drop shipment business. By integrating the container terminals in the locations of Leverkusen and Dormagen, Chemion can process the pre-carriage to the terminal Cologne-Eifeltor via rail for forwarding agents: empty tank containers are taken to the loading point from the depots, loaded and processed for shipment. The full containers are then transferred via the terminals on carrying cars and transported to Cologne container railway station and from there they go on to the long distance stretch. The same principle can also be implemented for transports to the ARA ports (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp); these transports can be operated through the Chemion shuttle to Duisburg. With the location shuttle as well as with the feed train concept the client benefits from the high reliability of the rail: after confirmation of the scheduled route the customer can rely on the promised delivery and plan accordingly. And Chemion has also developed a solution via rail for general cargo transports on a small scale: if companies have sidings, the general cargo loading can be done in wagons and move further quantities from the road to rail.

Optimising entire processes at the location

In addition to the feed train Chemion offers to take over time consuming tasks for forwarding agents that occur at the loading and unloading sites at the location. Because it is these services in particular on the last metres to the loading point of a company that are often take up a great deal of time and resources for the forwarding agents within the entire transport process. Up to now forwarding agents required approx. three hours to load their trucks, in which the stipulated goods transport controls and shipping processing takes place at the entrance to the plant and the loading of the truck takes place at the customer’s loading point. If the driver has to wait at the entrance to the plant when checking the access authorization or if jams occur in front of the loading points, then the internal plant process is prolonged accordingly. If the actual transport, however, is removed from the loading process, then delays can be avoided and the throughput times reduced for the transport service provider. Chemion’s concept to optimize the loading therefore starts at the end of the transport route at the truck stop at the plant boundary: here the service provider can take over the load unit from the forwarding agent, perform the loading for him including the expedition and then hand over the loading unit again to the forwarding agent for transport at the truck stop. In this way the loading points can be used around the clock and the time window can be stretched so that delays and jams can be avoided when loading. Since neither driver nor truck has to wait at the location during loading, the forwarding agent can use these for different purposes. Consequently, the coordination of the loading process of many companies and forwarding agents through one service provider leads to the process of loading being consolidated and the number of transports being reduced on the plant site.