CEF-project Upper Rhine ICT traffic management platform

Project title:
Action 2014-EU-TM-0210-S "Déploiement pilote d’une plateforme de gestion des trafics du Rhin Supérieur "

Coordination RheinPorts Bâle-Mulhouse-Weil am Rhein
Duration of the project: from 01/07/2014 until 30/06/2018
Budget: EUR 1 985 000 (50 % by the European Fund “Connecting Europe Facilities” CEF, 50 % financed by the ports)

Project partners

• RheinPorts Basel-Mulhouse-Weil
• Port of Karlsruhe
  
• Port of Strasbourg
  
  

Associated ports

• Port of Ludwigshafen am Rhein
• Port of Mannheim
• Port of Kehl
• Port of Colmar / Neuf-Brisach
  
  

Background

This project is a follow-up of the previous TEN-T project “Upper Rhine, a connected corridor”, which aimed to develop a common master plan for the ports of the Upper Rhine. One of the major actions recommended in this master plan is the development of common traffic management platforms.

At the same time, the approach is based on the results of the Interreg IV B Connecting Citizen Ports 21 project. During this project, among other things, a specification for the RheinPorts Information System (RPIS) was drawn up, which has been the starting point for the Upper Rhine traffic management platform set up during this project.

Objectives of the project

The project aims to develop an innovative IT platform for the upper Rhine ports allowing centralised coordination and efficient traffic organisation. This takes the form of an integrated and interfaced system with the IT-software of terminal operators, barge operators, customs services and river information systems.

The results expected from the introduction of the platform are:

• Improving logistics processes along the Rhine as a central corridor of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T)
• Increasing the competitiveness of inland waterway transport vis-à-vis the rail and road modes. 
• Reducing of CO2 emissions through a reduction in vessel waiting times and an increase in the load rate of river units.
  
  

Content

To achieve these objectives, the step by step development of an IT platform has been realised, of which a pilot version was first introduced at the level of the RheinPorts (Basel-Mulhouse-Weil am Rhein) with their seven container terminals.

Since May 2015, the RheinPorts Information System (RPIS) has been operational for all parties involved (particularly for barge operators and terminal operators). A second stage of the project has been a feasibility study of the introduction of the system in the six other ports of the Upper Rhine (Colmar/Neuf-Brisach, Strasbourg, Kehl, Karlsruhe Mannheim, Ludwigshafen), preparing the deployment of the IT platform with local adaptations. In a third phase, a study of possible functional extensions of the system and geographical extensions beyond the Upper Rhine has been carried out.

Stages of implementation

1) RPIS pilot introduction at RheinPorts level

As part of the first project activity, the following RPIS modules have been gradually implemented at RheinPorts in Basel, Mulhouse and Weil:

RPIS-Module 1: coordination of barge calls

• This module is a reservation system for barges allowing operators to reserve quays in container terminals.
  
  

 RPIS-Module 2: Container data management

• The container data management module manages digitally and centrally via the RPIS information relating to container transshipment (loading and unloading lists).
  
  

RPIS-Module 3: Customs module

• The RPIS Customs module electronically generates customs declarations for cross-border traffic between Switzerland and the European Union and sends them to the customs authorities.
  
  

 2) Adaptation of the IT-platform to the six other ports of the Upper Rhine

As part of this phase, a feasibility study for the deployment of RPIS in the six other ports of the Upper Rhine (Colmar/Neuf-Brisach, Strasbourg, Kehl, Karlsruhe Mannheim, Ludwigshafen) has been carried out. In this study, system adaptations have been defined. Based on the results of this study, the digital platform has been adapted to local needs and gradually introduced to the sites.

3) Opportunity assessment for extensions of the platform

Benefiting from the feedback from the introduction of the RPIS and the first uses, this third stage assesses the possibilities of both functional (non-containerised goods and other modes of transport) and geographical extensions (along the Rhine and other waterways of the trans-European transport network).