Capacity Booking

Approach

The Alliance partners locally steer their respective network capacities, while a central message broker system on Xrail level enhances seamless Wagonload interoperability over multiple European networks.

Broker function

  • On central Xrail level, a performant and robust message broker system, without proprietary inventories, connects the Alliance partner systems 24/7 online via state-of-the-art web services
  • The Xrail broker acts as a common central interface, sending all relevant booking and other transport related messages (e.g. modifications, delay alerts, Track & Trace information) from or to the different Alliance partners according to defined standards

Booking process

  • Customer or other booking party to request booking of a Wagonload transport before start via its preferred Alliance partner
  • Any request for an international Wagonload transport involving more than one Alliance member automatically initiates a check of a seamless available transport chain for the complete stretch via the central capacity booking broker
  • Bookable international transport chains are generated by the broker system by assembling single capacity-checked trip plans of the involved partners via a rapid multi-loop process
  • The available international transport plan, fitting best the customer's request, is either automatically selected by the initiating booking system or manually by the booking party
  • In a next step, a booking confirmation will be distributed to all involved parties, including a reliable, planned Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA)
  • During the transport, the involved Alliance partners aim at producing the specific wagon (group) "as booked" to stick to the defined hand-over and arrival times
  • Updated information can be swiftly provided to all stakeholders via the broker in case of needed re-bookings or deviations from the trip plan, affecting the planned hand-over or arrival times