Research projects are part of our work. Here you will find an overview of a selection of current research projects in which research assistants of our department are involved. For further details, please click on the individual images/buttons.

KV-Hub Hessen – Cargo cooperation in Combined Road/Rail Freight Transport.

The main CT leg is currently handled mainly by shuttle trains operated by individual CT operators, which run between two terminals with fixed wagon sets – without intermediate stops for handling goods. Increased cooperation between CT operators offers the opportunity to address these challenges. If several companies involved, such as shippers, freight forwarders, CT operators, rail transport companies (RUs) and terminal operators work together, they can use their transport resources more efficiently.

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REIM – Planning of resilient intermodal road/rail freight transport

Unpredictable events such as accidents and storms, which occur more frequently due to climate change, cause considerable economic damage in continental transport chains. Intermodal transport chains such as Combined Rroad/Rail Freight Transport (CT) are particularly sensitive to such disruptions due to their complexity. Shippers, carriers and freight forwarders are forced to reroute their shipments to alternative routes to the nearest transshipment point or to the customer.

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MONI – Possibilities of collecting capacity utilization data in rail transport and initial piloting

Precise knowledge of usage data in rail transport, both in freight and passenger transport, is crucial for the efficient management and improvement of rail transport in Germany. Efficiency and control should be improved. Particularly in rail freight transport, by gaining valuable insights into capacity utilisation and operational flexibility. This research focuses on the identification and analysis of freight wagon utilisation indicators and the techniques used to measure them.

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m² – Control of Containers

Due to different customer needs, today's freight wagon fleet is characterized by diversification with various specific types and designs. With its multifunctional and modular (m²) platform, the m² freight wagon from DB Cargo can help to operate more flexibly and more in line with customer needs.

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KIBA – Artificial Intelligence and discrete loading optimization models to increase capacity utilization in Combined Transport

The combination of transport modes in combined road/rail freight transport creates the need for loading from a truck onto a rail car, which requires additional resources. Optimal handling of these transshipments is therefore of great importance. The optimal assignment of the loading unit and wagon plays an important role in this. Errors in loading not only impair efficiency in the operational process but, in extreme cases, can also endanger the safety of personnel and other participants.

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KV-HUB – Piloting and testing of new, innovative combined transport products and processes involving the MegaHub rapid transshipment facility in Hanover/Lehrte

The aim of this project is to shift road freight traffic to the more environmentally friendly combined transport (CT), which thus contributes to achieving the climate targets. Due to the limited economic competitiveness of combined transport compared to road freight transport, there has been an increasing concentration of CT services on only a few direct train-capable routes between major economic centers. This led to a reduction in the range of services offered at smaller locations with more dispersed traffic volumes. In particular, the polycentric economic geography in Germany makes it difficult to generate a direct-train-capable volume for an economically viable CT service at all German terminal locations. With the help of innovative production processes and new digital applications, new, innovative approaches to solutions are therefore to be tested in the KV-HUB project, as the existing CT production systems alone will not be able to achieve the shift targets from road to rail planned by the German government.

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Completed research projects

Learn more about our completed research projects