http://vision-traffic.ptvgroup.com/en-uk/products/ptv-vissim/ - Intermodal transport is becoming more and more important as most of the goods are transported for long distances in the process of their fabrication. This video was made to give an idea of the complex handling and shunting processes in an intermodal terminal and on its way in the hinterland of a terminal: A container is taken from a barge, put on a carrying wagon, shunted and then hauled to another intermodal site. The simulation for the video was made with PTV Vissim.
In the beginning the outline of the city of Karlsruhe is displayed. The video then zooms into the area of the harbour of Karlsruhe (Rheinhafen). An inland barge has entered the harbour and is now ready for a transshipment of containers. This task is executed by the huge crane installed right next to the waterfront. It can lift and place containers in a nearby storage area or directly on a waiting train. The video shows the movements of the crane while placing a blue container lifted from the ship to a carrying wagon of a train. While a diesel locomotive (shunting engine) approaches and docks to the wagons another blue container is put in its place in the storage area by the crane.
The train takes on speed and moves out of the harbor. After a little while some other containers waiting on another track can be seen. The train passes by and uses the next shunting switch to reverse and push the wagons on the right track towards the containers seen just before. After docking the wagons to the waiting ones the diesel locomotive leaves the simulation. A waiting electric locomotive approaches the connected wagons, docks to them and pulls them out of the shunting yard towards their final destination.
A problem in terminals is often the need to switch between electrified and diesel locomotives. The Rheinhafen in Karlsruhe is not electrified; therefore, a diesel locomotive has to pull the wagons with containers on top out of the terminal unto electrified tracks. There they can be taken over by an electric locomotive. This means that there have to be at least two locomotives for this system to work. Future plans to simplify this process use hybrid locomotives. They usually work electrically, but also have a diesel engine in order to be able to work in non-electrified areas (e.g. under the cranes).
The purpose of the model was to visualize complicated processes happening at an intermodal terminal for the INTERREG-project CODE24. While one rather global objective of this project is to look at the transport relations in the corridor from Rotterdam to Genoa, the aim of this video was to show in detail what the transshipment in an intermodal terminal is all about. It was also to show that consolidation of goods does not take place at the terminal. This is more of a feeder service that changes means of transport while being delivered. Further information about the project CODE24 can be obtained at: http://www.code-24.eu/ or http://www.ptvag.com/research/optimum-use-of-infrastructure/code-24/"
