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The Handbook was ormalised at the Rhine-Alpine Corridor CEO’s Meeting.
The handbook describes standards that allow for the continuation of freight at the highest possible level in case of an international disruption, in addition to assuring transparency of the status of the disruption and its impact on traffic flows for all relevant stakeholders across Europe. An international disruption has been defined as disruptions with a forecasted impact on the affected section of more than three calendar days and high impact on international traffic. The impact of an incident is assessed by using business know-how (e.g. knowledge about passenger / freight flows) and by considering available re-routing options.
Re-routing options
From now on, a predefined re-routing overview is available for for each Rail Freight Corridor (RFC). These include “off-the-shelf” re-routing options and traffic management scenarios that minimise traffic disruptions. The re-routing options include all relevant and available information regarding technical parameters, other operational requirements and a rough indication of capacity (volume), but will not describe precise available capacity on any foreseen re-routing line.
The overview is drafted by the infrastructure managers. The RFCs will consult with railway undertakings so that these can prepare themselves for possible diversions. A review of the re-routing overview is foreseen at least every two years under coordination of RFCs based on input given by the infrastructure managers. The current overview was presented at the Rhine-Alpine Corridor CEO’s Meeting in Leipzig.
Capacity allocation
The Handbook also defines internationally agreed allocation principles for international disruptions. These are needed to eliminate ambiguity when fast action is required and to avoid discrimination, the text reads. The principles should be adopted by all infrastructure managers and allocation bodies without conflicting national laws/regulations. Infrastructure managers and allocation bodies with conflicting national laws/regulations should seek support from Transport Ministries and Regulatory Bodies for a synchronisation with this approach.
Although the allocation principles are described in detail, the main rule is that when the capacity on the disrupted line is less than what is required, the capacity available for re-routing will be allocated between annual timetable traffic and ad-hoc traffic according to the shares of these two segments in the previous year. For the share of the annual timetable, traffic is analysed per week during the expected time of interruption, while ad-hoc traffic is allocated capacity at a first-come-first serve basis.
Processes
The responsible infrastructure manager must consider whether the disruption needs to be declared and if the international contingency management has to be started. If this is the case, the coordinating RFC is chosen and addressed by the leading infrastructure manager, not more than twelve hours after the disruption started. The coordinating RFC should make the first telephone conference on mitigation measures within twelve hours after being informed. Incident managers are responsible for coordinating internationally available capacity and provide a rough indicative timetable within 24 hours after the first telephone conference, in order to organise required mitigation measures on the selected re-routings in their network as soon as possible. Read more
Source: RAILFREIGHT.COM
