Information Network for Intermodal Transport Chains on Inland Waterways

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Inland waterway transport (IWT) is focusing on medium and long distances, in order to promote strategic advantages in terms of loading capacity, security and cost effectiveness. At present IWT is mainly used to carry out transport operations in port-to-port relations. As integrated part of supply chains and key mode of intermodal transport chains it is applied only in few and exceptional cases. Competitiveness of IWT as key mode could be increased against land based transport modes by raising system speed (e.g. ship speed) and employment of comfortable and effective workflow management and information systems in seaports as well as inland terminals. WABIS (Information and Operating System for Inland Waterways) we developed, is a vessel traffic management and information system (VTMIS). It is grouped around a kernel, providing real time information of vessels concerning relevant resources management (terminal state, locks) and local traffic situation. WABIS Ship Client (Bridge Model) and the WABIS Traffic Control Center are coupled with ETA predictions using ship positions from DGPS transponders and an enhanced prediction model based on cellular automates. BIDIS (Workflow Management System for Inland Terminals) is focused on container transport with extensions for general cargo. The System offers ship storage planning, gate application, repair, storage optimization and personnel planning for ITs. Data transfer to seaports, WABIS Ship-Clients and end-users is handled by a communication server (IPEM) transferring messages to the internal object oriented format and converting outgoing message to file based EDIFACT file format.