Arkema, Fret SNCF and Everysens unveiled the first results of a tripartite project aimed at improving the performance of rail wagonload traffic. At the initiative of Arkema, Fret SNCF and Everysens have compared their respective data in order to identify areas for optimization of its rail flows.
From pooling to optimization
Rail transport is strategic for Arkema. We use it to ship nearly 4,000 insulated railcars operated by Fret SNCF every year. This mode of transport provides a high level of safety and helps us achieve our objectives in terms of reducing our carbon footprint.
However, visibility on the date and time of arrival remains limited. As one of the main users of insulated wagons in France, we started a collaboration with Everysens in October 2020, in order to manage all our rail logistics in real time.
Everysens is equipping Arkema's entire fleet with GPS beacons in order to build a reliable ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) that is updated in real time for its customer. Fret SNCF and Everysens have different and complementary data on our transports. Fret SNCF has declarative data from the field and the business, while Everysens has automated data in real time. "What if by pooling this data, we could unlock a margin of productivity in rail traffic?” It was this question that gave rise to the project.
Improve visibility and objectify performance measurement
The project focused on 3 months of data from the Gent - Saint Avre flow, and was carried out in several phases.
Initially, Arkema decided to open its real-time GPS data to Fret SNCF to compare with its own data and help it to manage flows and react more quickly in the event of a problem. At the same time, this made it possible to compare Fret SNCF's declarative data with Everysens' real-time data.
The second phase focused on measuring theoretical vs. actual performance results. By cross-referencing the GPS points of the wagons with the areas of interest crossed by the wagons (stations, hubs, workshops, etc.), the operation made it possible to measure the actual transit time and to identify the patterns of immobilization in each area.
“Everything that can be measured can be improved. Following this analysis, Fret SNCF has set up an action plan on this flow with our local entities and service providers”, explains Pierre Boutin, Director of the Single Wagon Transport recovery program at Fret SNCF. “Our objective is to find the causes of wagon immobilization and reduce these waiting times”.
Extend the project to all Arkema flows
The results are promising. We are getting the return transports transmitted by SNCF to Everysens, which gives us complete visibility of the flows. This project will enable us to implement proactive operational management with our partners, to identify the locations impacting the performance of the transport and to have reliable and contextualized data”.
"For Fret SNCF, offers and solutions in single wagons and groups of wagons are at the heart of our strategy and represent a major lever for achieving the objectives of doubling the rail freight market share” says Edouard Laverny, Fret SNCF Sales & Marketing Director. “The partnership with Arkema and Everysens allows us to improve the management of wagonload flows, and provides us with the tools we need to reduce transit times and improve performance and reliability in order to meet our ambitions for growth and customer satisfaction."
What is the future of this project? Dr. Youness Lemrabet, CEO of Everysens, explains: “This project demonstrates the tremendous potential of expanded collaboration in rail freight. We are already discussing the possibility of industrializing this project for all Arkema’s flows, thus making single wagon transport more reliable and attractive. We are fully aligned with the ambitions of the national strategy for rail freight and decarbonation.”