**5.1 Letterbox style operation (handover tracks)**

Rail freight operations in an open access multi-stage wagon load network (shown in **Figure 2**) generate, as for all similar networks (e.g., road traffic and electric grids), the highest specific costs in the last collection and distribution stages. The reason is that the costs of a valuable locomotive and corresponding staff can only be allocated to one or two wagons on the last metres of the journey. These last metres consume many loco/ staff hours but produce almost no traffic volume given in tons or kilometres. The problem is well known for more than a century. So historically, railway companies avoided using expensive mainline steam locos for this kind of operation. A typical solution is a group of handover/holding tracks. The first of these tracks holds the wagons delivered by the mainline loco. A second track contains the wagons, which need to be picked up. Further (empty) tracks may be needed for locomotive movements (**Figure 9**).

The customer can then move the wagons based on his internal timing needs to the loading docks using horses (historic solution) or nowadays road-rail vehicles. But we must note the disadvantages: the railway operator streamlines his operations, but the customer now needs an expensive device.

The W40 class 5 features a shunting drive system, which can overcome these disadvantages. Without needing an additional rail-road vehicle, the customer may now move the wagons himself on his premises by using the shunting drive. The user interface as well as the training of the staff will be aligned with current practice used for forklifts, which makes it also a viable solution for customers who only receive a single-digit number of wagons a week.

**Figure 9.** *Letterbox—handover tracks.*
