Temperature-controlled goods by rail possible

Together with ten other partners, the Flemish Institute for Logistics has carried out a two-year study of the technical and operational possibilities for detailed monitoring of temperature-controlled goods such as drugs, chemicals, foodstuffs, carried over long distances by rail.

The positive results demonstrate that rail can be a sustainable transport alternative for shippers, compared with the riskier road transport, slower maritime connections and expensive airfreight.

The project focused on the “New Silk Road” that crosses the Eurasian landmass from one side to the other. The initial impetus for the project was given by the trans-continental rail freight connection between Antwerp and Chongqing (China), set up at the end of 2011 by the Province of Antwerp Development Corporation, the Belgian Customs authorities and Antwerp Port Authority.