Abstract
In many European countries, rail freight demand has increased considerably during the last 10–15 years. A closer look at the German case reveals that—given a considerable amount of empty wagons and an untransparent market—there is still some potential to increase efficiency and competitiveness of rail freight and to overcome knowledge and information barriers in the rail freight market.
Embedded in the CODE24 strategy, an online rail freight exchange (ORFE) is a useful instrument to cope with these challenges. ORFE is a market platform where rail freight services are offered and requested on-line.
Besides some initial business and case studies, the market’s relevance of such a tool and the requirements of potential users—predominantly shipping companies, transport logistics providers and rail operators—had to be explored. Therefore, a workshop was held with these groups and other experts in 2011. Based on the outcome, potential operators had to be identified.
In September 2012, CODE24 identified two companies who were interested in cooperating with the CODE24 network and developing such an online rail market ready for commercialisation. CODE24 decided to support both companies and emphasize their neutrality. The first platform is “railcargo-online” (http://www.railcargo-online.com), the second platform is “freit-one” (http://www.freit-one.de). The latter uses the software prototype developed in CODE24.
Both platforms are available since October 2013 and were presented at a joint workshop with the INTERREG-IVB programme in November 2013. A preliminary appraisal by February 2014 showed that both platforms are working well and count up to 80 registered companies. This paper uses metric tons throughout.
Preferred citation: Endemann, P. (2014). Online Rail Freight Exchange (ORFE)—Better Rail Competitiveness and Acceptance, Drewello, H. and B. Scholl (ed.), Integrated Spatial and Transport Infrastructure Development. The Case of the European North-South Corridor Rotterdam-Genoa, Springer-Verlag, Cham.
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Notes
- 1.
Information retrieved from the website of the German federal Railway Agency; http://www.eba.bund.de (accessed 15 July 2014).
- 2.
Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français (French national railway company).
- 3.
Ferrovie dello Stato (Italian State railway company).
- 4.
Deutsche Bahn (German national railway company).
- 5.
Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (Swiss federal railway company).
- 6.
Marktorientiertes Angebot Cargo (market consolidation programme by the German freight rail incumbent company).
- 7.
Sub-partnership has started with Transpetrol, Hamburg and has recently continued with Klaus G. Becker, rail logistics consultant who formerly worked for Transpetrol.
- 8.
A train path is defined as the timing of an allocated movement of a train along a given route. Altogether this creates a timetable.
- 9.
Original citation: “Im Fokus der Online Frachtenbörse steht die Vermittlung zwischen Transportangeboten und Transportnachfragen des Schienengüterverkehrs auf dem so genannten ‘Spot Market’, auf dem relative kleine Gütermengen—vor allem in der Größenordnung von Einzelwagen—und Wagengruppenverkehren—gehandelt werden.” Bruns et al. 2012, p. 34): translated by the author.
- 10.
Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen (Association of German Transport Companies).
- 11.
Interessengemeinschaft der Bahnspeditionen (Interest Group of Railway Forwarders).
- 12.
Bundesverband Materialwirtschaft, Einkauf und Logistik e.V. (German Association of Materials Management, Purchasing and Logistics).
- 13.
Main German rail network operator.
- 14.
In economics, information asymmetry is a term that describes a situation in which buyers are not fully aware of what their purchase options and their respective costs are. Hence, they are inclined to make less-than-optimal purchase decisions.
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Endemann, P. (2016). Online Rail Freight Exchange (ORFE): Better Rail Competitiveness and Acceptance. In: Drewello, H., Scholl, B. (eds) Integrated Spatial and Transport Infrastructure Development. Contributions to Economics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15708-5_12
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