regioKArgoTramTrain - Combined passenger and goods transportation for more climate protection
regioKArgoTramTrain is a lighthouse project that was awarded a prize in the RegioWIN 2030 competition and stems from the regional development strategy of the Karlsruhe TechnologyRegion 2030. The objective includes the design and prototype demonstration of an innovative logistics concept in a real-world laboratory, incorporating a freight train system with special automation technology and a specially developed ICT platform using existing infrastructure in order to relieve the burden on public space in a sustainable and green way despite increasing demand in commercial transport.
regioKArgoTramTrain - Combined passenger and goods transportation for more climate protection
Aim of regioKArgoTramTrain
The "regioKArgoTramTrain" research project is investigating the possibility of integrating goods transportation into local public transport. The focus is on developing an efficient and sustainable solution for the mobility of people and goods shipments in rail vehicles. In line with the motto "Moving people and goods together", the aim is to transport not only passengers but also goods into the city by streetcar in a climate-friendly way, thus generating synergies.
The basic aim of the "regioKArgoTramTrain" project is to integrate freight transportation into local public transport in order to create a logistics system between the city and the region. Additional goods are to be transported in the streetcars at times of day when the streetcars are not used to capacity. The automated loading and unloading of the vehicles with a bicycle trailer or a delivery robot will be continuously optimized with the help of AI.
The "regioKArgoTramTrain" project with a start date in fall 2023 was awarded a prize as a flagship project as part of the state competition "RegioWIN 2030 - Regional Competitiveness through Innovation and Sustainability" in 2021. With a project volume of EUR 6.53 million, the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs approved funding of EUR 3.92 million for the realization of the development of an efficient and sustainable solution for the mobility of people and goods using streetcars, of which EUR 2.61 million came from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and an additional EUR 1.31 million from state funds. With a project duration of 51 months, a real-life laboratory will demonstrate the developed logistics system in 2027.
Idea of regioKArgoTramTrain
The basic idea of "regioKArgoTramTrain" is to make the most sensible use of existing rail resources. If the streetcars and light rail vehicles are not fully utilized by passenger transport, the freed-up capacities are to be used for the transport of goods.
Advancing urbanization and the growing turnover from the e-commerce sector are increasing the demands on transport infrastructure as well as the demand for logistics and mobile services. The "regioKArgoTramTrain" flagship project is developing a concept for the dual use of rail and vehicles for both passenger and freight transport.
regioKArgoTramTrain project team
The transport company Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft mbH (AVG), which has decades of experience as a local public transport company, is in charge of implementing the project. Numerous partners from the worlds of science and business are also supporting the research project, the success of which requires many different areas of expertise.
The project partners include: Automotive Engineering Network e.V. (aen e.V.), Forschungszentrum Informatik (FZI), Hochschule Furtwangen (HFU), Hochschule Karlsruhe - Technik und Wirtschaft (HKA), INIT Innovative Informatikanwendungen in Transport-, Verkehrs- und Leitsystemen GmbH (INIT), INOVAPLAN GmbH, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) with the Institute of Vehicle Systems Technology (FAST) and the Institute of Transportation (IfV), MARLO Consultants GmbH, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU), SEW-Eurodrive GmbH & Co KG, SimPlan AG, TechnologieRegion Karlsruhe GmbH (TRK) and TransportTechnologie-Consult GmbH (TTK).
Positive effects of regioKArgoTramTrain
Shifting freight transport to rail has a number of positive effects. First and foremost, the volume of delivery traffic by logistics companies using the usual vans is reduced, which, in addition to lowering climate-damaging emissions, also relieves congestion on inner-city roads and thus reduces traffic jams. It should not be forgotten that the cleaner air and lower noise levels in the city improve the quality of life of its citizens. In addition, the dual use of the carriage areas also leads to optimized utilization of the streetcar vehicles during off-peak and off-peak times.
Advantages of regioKArgoTramTrain
- Shifting freight transport to rail
- Less delivery traffic on the road
- Reduction of climate-damaging emissions
- Relieving congestion on urban road networks
- Reduction of the noise level
- Improving the quality of life
- Optimization of streetcar capacity utilization
Successes and actions of regioKArgoTramTrain
Workshop - July 2024
In summer 2024, a workshop with an acceptance survey was held early on in the project period. Using the storyboard and Walt Disney methods, the researchers from the project team developed exciting and innovative solutions for the numerous situations of possible interactions. These are then worked out in detail and then evaluated and optimized in the surveys and laboratory studies. The aim is to ensure that regioKArgoTramTrain achieves real added value for all passengers and citizens in the Karlsruhe TechnologyRegion and that conflicts do not arise in the first place.
Project presentation - June 2024
In June 2024, the "regioKArgoTramTrain" project was presented to an expert audience at the 7th Regional Conference on the Mobility Transition of the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region and the Karlsruhe TechnologyRegion in Wiesloch.
Project presentation - May 2024
At the international IT-TRANS - Intelligent Urban Transport Systems congress, the "regioKArgoTramTrain" research project was presented to trade fair visitors at the Karlsruhe Mobility Lab stand of the Karlsruhe TechnologyRegion.
Kick-off date - October 2023
The kick-off for the "regioKArgoTramTrain" project took place at Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (AVG) in Karlsruhe in October 2023 with the participation of all project partners.
Further information: https://regiokargotramtrain.de/
The "regioKArgoTramTrain" research project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor and Tourism.
Picture credits Cover photo: AVG Froschbahn © Paul Gärtner_KVV
Contact details
TechnologieRegion Karlsruhe GmbH:
- Dr. Petra Jung-Erceg
Strategy Development
[email protected]
Phone: +49 721 402 44-715 - Michael Rau
Project manager
[email protected]
Phone: +49 721 402 41-759
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