WCRR 2001ID Number : 246

A new rail highway through the Alps

The new railway waggon MODALOHR

The French company MODALOHR permanently at the service of road transport, has developed a rail-road system which meets today's requirements, with simple technical solutions, suitable for existinginfrastructures, free of constraints for users and requiring only limited investment.

A) THE CONCEPT

MODALOHR is a low-frame articulated railway wagon, specially designed for carrying standard,non-specific road equipment. It includes:

1) A very low loading platform enabling 4 metre high trucks to be loaded within the limits ofexisting railway gauges (UIC GB1)

gauge

WCRR 2001ID Number : 246

2) Standard bogies and wheels to keep servicing costs within the range of those of aconventional railway car.

3) Trucks can be loaded horizontally and directly using the road tractor (no handlingequipment)

openning

4) Lateral 'herring-bone' loading of trucks for simultaneous, rapid transhipment.

5) A fully mechanical system for articulation and "opening" the wagons which is verysimple, providing excellent reliability and low costs.

6) A simple, low-cost transhipment terminal, consisting of asphalted areas on either side ofthe railway line (no platforms) and waggon opening systems fixed on the railway.

B) TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Road equipment accepted by MODALOHR :

accepts most standards trailers and trucks without modification. accepts trailers to a maximum height of 4 m. doesn't need specific road equipment (trailer unloadable with a grab, etc.)

MODALOHR can carry:

1) either semi-trailers alone

Max. length: 13.7 m Max. load: 38.5 t

2) either complete trucks (tractor + semi-trailer)Uncoupling the combiantions ; the semi-trailer is loaded onto one waggon and the tractoronto the next wagon with another tractor. Drivers have only one simple, fast manoeuvre tocomplete.

Max. length of the road convoy: 16.5 m Max. length of semi-trailer alone: 13.7 m

WCRR 2001ID Number : 246

Max. length of tractor alone: 6.15 m Max. load of road convoy: 44 t.

train

Technical characteristics of MODALOHR wagons :

Length of a double wagon: 32.48 mTare weight of a double wagon: 35.7 tDistance between end frame bogie pivot points: 14.30 mMaximum speed at maximum load: 120 kph

Type of bogie Y25 (middle) Y33 (end)Wheel diameter 920 mm 840 mmAxle wheelbase 1800 mm 2000 mmMaximum load per axle 22.5 t/axle 17 t/axle

C) WAGON OPENNING SYSTEM

To guarantee reliability and lower rolling stock purchase and maintenance costs, there is nopower actuator on the wagons. They are just simple mechanical units.

The wagon opening systems are part of the fixed equipment at the terminals. This is in line witheconomic logic because there are many more wagons than terminals. It is also much easier tomaintain equipment fixed in one place than systems fitted to wagons.

These opening systems consist of simple, tried and tested, reliable components. They arecontrolled from ground level by operating personnel who monitor the truck transhipmentoperations.

system

WCRR 2001ID Number : 246

Each wagon is fitted with a secured lock which guarantees that the wagon stays closed whilemoving along the tracks.

As soon as the train stops, the wagons are recentered on the position with respect to the openingsystems.

Once unlocked by the platform personnel, the wagon's vertical load is taken over by the ground-based equipment which then pivots the low-frame platforms. The trucks can then be unloaded andloaded.

To close the wagons, the operation is repeated in reverse order.

D) TERMINAL

Loading and unloading trucks on MODALOHR rail cars needs a special transhipment terminal tobe constructed. In view of the quantity of truck traffic using these terminals, it is preferable tobuild new installations outside urban areas, close to motorway interchanges.

A MODALOHR terminal is very simple and economical, because it consists simply of a railwayline with an asphalted surface on either side, at almost the same level as the rails.

There is no need for gantries or handling equipment to be installed. The loading floor of the carsis very low and the trucks can be loaded "under their own steam".

terminal

Using lateral loading in herring-bone mode, trucks can be transhipped totally independently of theother trucks.

All the trucks can be loaded or unloaded at the same time so that 30 trucks can be loaded asquickly as one. The manoeuvres the driver has to accomplish (in a straight line) are also very easyand fast.

A MODALOHR wagon can be fully loaded and unloaded in half an hour.

WCRR 2001ID Number : 246

E) TRUCK LOADING OPERATIONS

After passing the entrance to the terminal, where it has been identified and inspected (weight +dimensions), the truck goes to the position bearing the number indicated, and waits for the train toarrive.

Once the train has stopped, the truck to be loaded waits until the truck already on the wagon inquestion has been unloaded, before driving on board.

1) Wagon stopped with respect to the ground system, then the low-frame platform isunlocked.

demo

2) The low-frame platform is rotated by the ground opening system.

3) The truck is loaded onto the wagon by simply driving in a straight line.

WCRR 2001ID Number : 246

demo

4) The truck crosses the platform until the tractor reaches the other side.

WCRR 2001ID Number : 246

demo

5) After uncoupling, the tractor is loaded onto the adjacent platform if the whole rig istravelling on the train, or leaves the terminal if the semi-trailer is travelling alone.

6) The wagon is closed using the ground system, then locked and the wagon is ready toleave.

WCRR 2001ID Number : 246

demo

MODALOHR has the further advantage of being able to unload or reload one or more trucks inthe middle of the train without having to move the others. Intermediate stops can thus be plannedgiving drivers greater flexibility and optimizing train filling. Connections can even be envisagedbetween MODALOHR trains, exchanging trucks.

This loading method reduces the rail operator's running costs:

The time for which trains are stopped in terminals can be very short, and the rate ofefficiency is high because they are moving for 80% of the time they are in service.

Since transhipment is horizontal, it can take place on a line using catenaries (1m play).Trains can reach the MODALOHR terminal directly using the normal electriclocomotive, without having to detach it.

Since the trucks are loaded directly and easily by their drivers, very few personnel arerequired in the terminals.

E) ADVANTAGES

For road hauliers:

No investment in special transport equipment to have access to combined transport Standard 4 m high trucks can be loaded No load splitting between road and rail because transhipment is direct using the road tractor

and transfer time is very short Fast, easy loading for the driver (straight line)

For rail operators:

Uses existing lines (GB1 gauge): no new lines needed

WCRR 2001ID Number : 246

Low maintenance costs for wagons comparable to those of conventional wagons, because thesystem uses bogies and standard wheels and the opening mechanism is simple and doesn'tneed actuators

Inexpensive transhipment terminals Very short transhipment time so that only a few lines are needed per terminal Low running costs because of:

highly efficient wagons and locomotives due to the stopping time for transhipmentbeing very short

lateral, horizontal transhipment can take place under catenaries and withoutuncoupling the road convoy

very few personnel needed at the terminals because the drivers load the trucksthemselves.

Very fast lateral loading of trucks independent of each other, so that intermediate stops can bemade, improving the service offered and above all, the percentage of train filling.

For local authorities:

Helps to reduce the number of heavy goods vehicles in transit on major motorways, leading to: less pollution and noise lower risk of accidents extra capacity available for private cars

No longer requires public subsidy for operation because of low running costs.