Rail freight transport is a complex system. There are many factors that may prevent it from running smoothly. Whether caprices of the weather, technical problems or all kinds of delay - for Railion employees at the Cargo Control Center in Frankfurt/Main it is a matter of coping with events of this kind, and every day presents a new challenge. They have to be capable of quick decisions, as it is they who in the last resort determine what is best to do, and when and where, in order to keep the widely ramified system running smoothly.

Teamwork ensures smooth running of the system

Railion's employees work hand in hand with their colleagues at the control centers of the infrastructure companies - seeing that passenger trains and freight trains, and those of competing companies as well, share the same rail network. Short paths are called for, as teamwork is essential - especially in exceptional situations.

The Cargo Control Center has an electronic overview of all Railion's transport operations. Where is this particular freight train? What has it got on board? Which locomotive is pulling it? The click of a mouse is all it takes, and at any time the staff have all the information they need at their fingertips.

So as to meet the needs of the regions in the best possible way, the work of the principal Cargo Control Center in Frankfurt is supported by seven subordinate Control Centers distributed across the Federal Republic. The Frankfurt Control Center is responsible for managing 1200 long-distance freight trains daily, out of a total number of 5000. The Control Center staff also decide the order in which the trains are to travel, and notify DB Netz (responsible for the infrastructure management) accordingly. The other Railion countries work on the same principle.

Scheduling, controlling and communicating

Adhering to timetables, scheduling and making the best use of resources - all these are important activities for the staff at the Cargo Control Center. But that is not all. Railion's employees can make use of a technical hotline if there is any damage to the trains. The Control Center's technical services can then provide professional help or organize the necessary repairs.

Another important task of the Control Center is the management of special trains. 800 to 900 trips per day are booked at short notice and must be monitored. On a daily basis 400 train drivers are on call to handle special operations of this kind at a moment's notice. Here the Frankfurt head office and the other control centers work hand in hand with Railion's Customer Service Center in Duisburg, where all customer inquiries and orders are processed.