**2. Current handling of freight wagons and trains**

#### **2.1 Introduction**

Wagon handling is required multiple times per journey due to the multi-stage nature of the railway network (**Figure 2**), in particular for single wagon loads. These need to be collected from the shipment points and regrouped to form trains, potentially multiple times, in order to maximise capacity utilization.

A loss in single wagon load cargo moved, as observed in most economies in the past decades, leads to a reduced point-to-point connection between regional distributions and thus further reduces the advantages of the rail freight system due to longer train running times. For this reason, it is vital to increase the overall portion of rail freight in order to keep it vital.

*Automation of the Freight Wagon Subsystem DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110163*

**Figure 2.** *Multi-stage rail network example.*

The local regulations in place typically require a full train inspection at each of the collection or distribution site, which includes a brake test and a routine inspection besides the manual effort of coupling and preparation.

The current routines and practices for train preparation and inspection stem partly from the quasi-universal usage of the pneumatic air brake system, for example, as laid out in Ref. [6]. This system relies on the de-energise-to-activate principle, requiring a distributed system with local energy storage as well as a continuous brake pipe. It is depicted in **Figure 3**.

The distributed nature of the system, together with the lack of sensors and communication equipment, requires manual preparation action as well as pre-departure checks in order to ensure safe operation.

**Figure 3.** *Pneumatic brake system.*
