MINIMODAI
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CONTAINERS
minimodal consortium—involving lynx Express and bailey, as well as a host of rail transport companies--received 21.131m from the sSRA to develop the flexible "minimodal" road/rail container inside 18 months.
The project alms to open the existing rail network to a wide variety of businesses, offering a more flexible method of moving goods with the first 100mph (160km/h) freight delivery service. This is expected to improve loading deadlines and arrival times on bulk and trunking routes.
Research by the consortium has found urban routes becoming more congested as the overall traffic volume increases. 'logistic professionals' are keen to develop cheaper and faster ways of transporting goods into congested areas by rail.
The minimodal containers are 2.55m square, 2,67m high and weigh one tonne empty, with a gross laden weight of six tonnes. The height means that at present the system can travel on 10,467 miles of track; by the time it is up and running in 18 months that will increase to 11,013 miles.
The minimodal container has two hard sides and two doors. This means the box is "hi-directional"; it can be loaded from the side of the truck or train or from the back of the truck, The container is designed to be loaded and unloaded at passenger platform level, allowing transfer between road and rail with a standard fork-lift, It will fit onto a truck using conventional twistlocks, but an adaptation of the spigot will be used for rail travel.
The rail wagon is designed for six minimodals but the road trailer will take five containers, totalling 30 tonnes, with a 14-tonne tractive unit and trailer. The first minimodal units are specifically designed for the 44-tonners that were introduced for road-rail operations. Each container is heavy enough for road use and light enough to help achieve that 16131cm/h rall target
Minimodal technical expert Malcolm Ord says the container's weight will present more of a challenge for lighter vehicles such as 7.5-tonners, where its one-tonne weight eats up a substantial amount of the truck's payload. But he stresses that it's still early days and other containers are In the pipeline, Including a lightweight aluminium version which will allow a 7.5-tonner to carry two minimodal containers.
Ord says the minimodal has the flexibility to be hugely successful because no one else has thought of designing a square container. "It can be used as a much longer container simply by placing them door to door," he points out.
Lynx Express has already got on board and will use the system to transport parcels from Scotland to London; other major distribution companies are also showing an interest in the minimodal concept. The minimodals will be demonstrated to customers in approximately six months.