Swedish Trafikverket Presents European RFID Concept for a Cross-border and Intermodal Transport Chain

Know today what will be important tomorrow!

On which train are the goods and where about? Are the train wagons in Sweden or in The Netherlands? Is there imminent danger from overheating wheels? The exchange of this information is relevant for everyone involved in rail freight. The Swedish National Board of Transportation, “Trafikverket,” relies on a comprehensive approach. Based on RFID standards, it goes even further, stating the objective is a cross-border information system which can also benefit harbour freight. In intermodal transport chains, rail is the central interface between seaport and hinterland terminals.

Karl Akerlund, RFID Project Manager at the Swedish Transport Administration, and Gunnar Ivansson, Learning Well in interview with „RFID im Blick“

Comprehensive Track & Trace concept

Trafikverket has already installed a system of more than 180 UHF readers on its rail network. Since January 2015, nearly 4,000 rail vehicles have been equipped with RFID transponders. „The installation of 15O more read points can be expected within the next year,“ says Gunnar Ivansson, consultant at the Agency Learning Well, who has supported the Trafikverket in implementing the solution. „So far, about 25 percent of the rail vehicles are tagged: Our goal, however, is to involve more companies that equip their rail wagons with RFID tags,“ says Karl Akerlund, RFID Project Manager at the Swedish Transport Administration. The idea is to create a data collection and information network on maintenance or freight transport data, that is provided as a service to railway operators, transport companies, and customers.

European Concept

Trafikverket wants to go one step further however, by establishing international partnerships for cross-border traffic: „Rail transport in Europe is international – some 60 percent of all rail wagons originate from other European cities. Therefore, a global approach and global standards have been set right from the start,” says Akerlund. The tag and reader communication is based on EPC standards, and the information exchange is based on EPCIS. The organisation believes that this concept can be applied not only in Sweden, but throughout Europe. In Germany, the Deutsche Bahn already operates a pilot project with the objective to integrate the same concept. „Our goal is the international exchange of information on the current train wagon position, explains Akerlund.

Read the complete article at "RFID im Blick" Online.

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Weiterführende Links

• Originalmeldung von RFID im Blick | RFID tomorrow
• Alle Meldungen von RFID im Blick | RFID tomorrow