New From Wabtec: Railcar Telematics Platform
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
Wabtec illustration
Wabtec is the most recent rail supplier to enter the rapidly growing railcar telematics market, entering into an agreement with Netherlands-based Intermodal Telematics B.V. (IMT) under which Wabtec’s Digital Intelligence Group will create a platform integrating IMT technology. Wabtec says this new platform “will deliver real-time information to railcar and tank container owners and operators, allowing them to turn rail cargo into smart, connected assets.”
The Wabtec/IMT railcar telematics platform will include sensors, gateways, wireless communications, and analytics. The technology will be offered for retrofit on existing fleets and “will make Wabtec’s current railcar components smarter by integrating solutions right from production,” the company said. It will include a “comprehensive suite of solutions that track real-time location and monitor key attributes” such as handbrakes, hatches, doors, and loaded/unloaded status for a railcar, as well as cargo temperature and pressure for a tank container.
Wabtec said it plans to begin offering its railcar telematics platform in first-quarter 2024. It will be offered exclusively by Wabtec in North America and other heavy-haul freight markets globally as set forth in the agreement with IMT.
“Today, the rail industry is largely blind to the potential status information contained in each railcar in the network,” Wabtec said. “There is no real-time visibility into the status and health of more than 90% of the railcar fleet worldwide. Equipping these freight cars with telematics, GPS and sensor technologies enables customers to capture that hidden information and turn it into actionable data. With Wabtec’s new solution, railcar shippers and operators can turn rail cargo into smart connected assets that communicate their location, health, and status. The data will provide actionable insights that enable freight rail customers to optimize performance; predict maintenance needs; and view the location of railcar assets. This technology can transform how railroads manage their fleets.”
“The rail industry is on the verge of a new era where the use of real-time data about the status and condition of cargo will be transformative to the customer experience and supply chain efficiency,” said Wabtec Digital Intelligence Group President Nalin Jain. “Telematics builds on Wabtec’s rich history serving the freight car markets with next-generation solutions. Our innovative solutions will improve shipment visibility, increase on-time performance, and expand asset utilization to make shipping freight by rail more competitive.”
