Freight Cars Become a Smart and Connected Form of Transport

Thanks to Bosch, the next stop for freight trains is the internet. The “Internet of Things,” which connects real and digital information, is revolutionizing rail freight transport with the help of new digital technology for vehicles.

More than 300 freight cars have already been equipped with the new Bosch system and are being used to test this technology in rail transport across Europe, North America, and Australia. Production of the system is scheduled to begin in mid-2016.

– We use intelligent connected sensors to capture data about freight cars in real-time and process it online. This means that the cars can determine themselves whether the cold chain has been maintained, predict delivery arrival times, and provide information on when the next maintenance is due, says Bernhard Bihr, president of Bosch Engineering. 

Connected Technology for Efficient Logistics

To withstand harsh working conditions such as temperature changes, vibrations, dirt, and humidity, railway engineering must be simple and robust. In 2013, nearly 400 million tons of goods were transported on approximately 40,000 kilometers of railway track in Germany alone. One reason why connectivity technology, which is advancing rapidly in almost all other sectors worldwide, has not penetrated the rail freight transport sector is that freight cars lack their own power supply and sensors. Bosch Engineering is now bridging that gap with a connected vehicle notification system for rail freight transport. This system uses proven and tested technology from the company as well as components used in the mass production of cars.

– Our automotive technology can also be applied in other sectors, including rail transport. This new system allows us to make logistics chains in rail, road, and maritime transport transparent and to manage the increase in freight transport more efficiently, says Bihr.

Precise Location Determination

The ability to continuously monitor deliveries and receive information about whether they arrive at their destination on time is standard for road transport deliveries. However, when it comes to rail transport, this is more often the exception than the rule, as freight cars have not been able to provide the necessary information until now. Timing is crucial, especially in cases where we rely on a combination of rail, road, and maritime transport, to ensure the efficiency of logistics processes. With the new vehicle notification system, the connectivity hardware installed in freight cars currently provides the necessary information, enabling the location of each car to be determined. As a result, it is possible to track and monitor deliveries by rail from origin to destination, ultimately saving money, improving logistics planning, and helping to ensure more reliable scheduling and more accurate delivery times.

Monitoring Goods to Increase Security

A refrigerated car with food is on its way from Hamburg to Cologne. What is the temperature in this freight car? Is the cold chain unbroken? By measuring factors such as temperature and humidity, sensors inside the car provide answers to these questions. The connectivity hardware sends the collected information to a server and makes it available via an online portal. If the temperature in the car exceeds a critical threshold, the system immediately triggers an alarm and notifies the control center. This way, it is possible to monitor transport conditions at any time along the entire route, ensuring that food always arrives fresh at its destination.

Transparent Vibration Monitoring

Handling goods and loading them for transport can result in sudden shifts and vibrations strong enough to damage freight cars and the goods they carry. The connectivity hardware includes a three-axis accelerometer that measures the intensity, frequency, and exact location of impacts on the car and analyzes the data. This allows for the identification of the causes of any potential damage to the cars or their cargo and checks the transport conditions.

Accurate Mileage Measurement

All passenger cars are equipped with a mileage counter that shows how many kilometers have been traveled and when the next service for the car needs to be scheduled. This is now possible for railway freight cars as well. Operators can now track the GPS location of a specific car on the railway network map and determine how much mileage it is covering. Using this information, they can schedule services at intervals based on mileage and their condition, and carry out necessary repairs in a timely manner, thereby minimizing downtime and costs.

Location Service and Anti-Theft Alarms for Increased Efficiency and Security

In addition to wanting to know where a specific freight car is located, operators often need information about the arrival of the car at the station or unplanned deviations from the planned route. Here, the location service is very helpful. Once a virtual zone is selected online, each freight car automatically sends an email or text message the moment it reaches the boundary of the selected zone. The arrival notification feature allows for the automatic generation of delivery notes in electronic form and optimization of logistics processes. Additionally, by using information about whether and when the car doors were opened, the system ensures greater security of the goods during transport.