Responsible partner: OTB TU Delft

The objective of Research Activity 1 is to determine what kind of innovative rail freight services would be able to match the specific requirements of the logistics markets on the project corridor. In this respect the CREAM Project is committed to an integral view on rail freight service characteristics including a set of "typical" rail performance features such as time-table, price, rate of punctuality or flexibility, the definition of appropriate rail production schemes as well as additional customer services like tracking and tracing information, road haulage services or intermediate storage of intermodal units. The result of RA 1 is a set of comprehensive templates on road-competitive rail-based supply chains, which could serve shippers and forwarders properly. These results are input to other research activities, in particular to RA 3, 4, 7 and 8.

Research Activity 1 is divided into

• RA 1.1 - Analysis of market requirements compared to the benchmark "door-to-door" road transport
• RA 1.2 - Determination of templates on innovative rail freight services and supply chains

Work Progress RA 1

To assess the market requirements and derive templates on innovative rail freight services, two main sources have been taken into account:

• the operational CREAM partners (operators & forwarders)
• questionnaires, which have been transferred to selected transport providers and were published in the "Customer Service" section of the CREAM website

The results of work package RA 1.1 are compiled in deliverable DR 1.1, which has been submitted to the European Commission in December 2007. This deliverable is confidential.

The works for RA 1.2 have been concluded and compiled in deliverable 1.2. As for DR 1.1 the dissemination level is confidential.