R-CDM
Nowadays, cooperation and data sharing are not that common amongst the units in the railway sector. Common data sharing between infrastructure managers, railway undertakings, terminals, and ports only works on a bilateral level, or in many cases, it does not happen at all.
However, sharing data in all stages of the transport chain would be beneficial for the whole sector in order to increase efficiency and to be able to react quickly to disturbances. That is why the Railway Collaborative Decision Making (R-CDM)-concept, which was derived from the Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM)-concept, was developed.
The A-CDM has shown significant benefits in the aviation sector, improving the efficiency of flight and ground processes as well. The activity was covered with the Digital Train 1.0 CEF project where a Feasibility study on Railway Collaborative Decision Making was prepared. Following that, the RNE MB recommended, and the Traffic Management High-Level Group agreed on the continuation of the R-CDM concept implementation.
The R-CDM concept
The Railway Collaborative Decision Making (R-CDM) concept is being designed to enhance the efficiency, predictability and resilience of railway operations. By fostering real-time data sharing among key individual stakeholders such as Railway Undertakings (RUs), terminals, ports, and shunting yards – R-CDM enables better resource utilization and improved operational planning.
To facilitate seamless information exchange, R-CDM follows a milestone-based approach, inspired by the Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM). Throughout the transport chain, timestamps (planned, estimated, targeted and actual values) are shared at defined milestones, ensuring that relevant stakeholders receive timely and accurate data.
Ultimately, R-CDM focuses on making the best use of existing capacity and resources, providing greater resilience and recovery capabilities in case of disruptions. A successful R-CDM framework requires equal collaboration across all stakeholders, ensuring harmonized and transparent information sharing from origin to destination.
Expected Benefits
A structured information flow strengthens operational resilience and enhances predictability. The R-CDM concept is expected to deliver key benefits for different stakeholders:
| Infrastructure Managers | – Decreasing overall delay minutes – More predictable operations – Improved capacity management – Enhanced quality of service |
| Railway Undertakings & Shunting Operators | – Greater operational reliability – More cost-efficient operations – Optimized resource utilization – Real-time monitoring for improved visibility – Proactive re-planning capabilities |
| Terminal operators | – Increased predictability – Improved capacity utilization – Reduction in energy consumption |
| Intermodal operators | – Eliminated planning uncertainties – Proactive collaboration – Improved quality of information |
Main Documents
- Discussion paper
- Orientation paper
- Definition paper