The feasibility study “Development of a Unified Timetable for Combined Transport (EiFa)” was carried out from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 with the goal of making connection information in combined transport—specifically rail and short‑sea waterway—easier to exchange between operators and customers. By creating a single, semantically defined timetable format the project aimed to increase digitalisation and transparency in the green transport sector and to lay the groundwork for a stronger modal shift to environmentally friendly carriers.
A central technical outcome of the study was the definition of a unified timetable structure that covers both rail and waterway operators. Through three workshops—data‑receiver, data‑supplier, and technical specification—a consensus was reached on the essential timetable fields and their formats. The workshops produced a set of standardised nomenclature, data‑field descriptions, and a data‑field format that can be represented in CSV and API formats. The study also delivered practical artefacts such as an Excel template, a sample timetable file, and a technical specification document for API methods, all of which are publicly available.
A key scientific contribution was the harmonisation of terminal coding. The study evaluated existing coding schemes and decided on a single terminal code for the combined‑transport timetable. The UIRR code, which is free, permanent, and compliant with the TAF‑TSI regulation, was chosen as the primary reference. However, because the UIRR code does not cover inland shipping terminals, the BIC Facility Code was mapped to provide global coverage across all transport modes. The mapping between UIRR and BIC codes was planned as a joint effort between the UIRR and BIC organisations, ensuring that the unified timetable can reference any terminal worldwide. The study also incorporated ISRS location codes from CESNI for waterway terminals, although these were considered secondary for the initial implementation.
The survey conducted at the outset of the project revealed that current timetable data are fragmented, often published in incompatible formats such as PDF, image files, or proprietary spreadsheets, and that terminal identifiers are inconsistently defined. By standardising the timetable fields and adopting a single terminal coding system, the study directly addresses these inefficiencies, enabling operators to exchange data more efficiently and allowing potential users—particularly freight forwarders and shippers—to compare road and combined‑transport options on a level playing field.
From a collaboration perspective, the project brought together a consortium of stakeholders. The UIRR supplied the UIRR terminal code and led the technical specification of the timetable format. BIC contributed the Facility Code and participated in the mapping effort. CESNI provided ISRS location codes for waterway terminals. Additional partners such as HUPAC and TX‑Logistik supplied existing timetable data and helped validate the proposed format. The study was funded through a German federal programme (SGKV), which covered mainly personnel costs and modest travel expenses for workshops and dissemination activities. The consortium’s joint effort was essential to achieve the agreed objectives within the one‑year timeframe.
In summary, the EiFa feasibility study produced a comprehensive, interoperable timetable format for rail and short‑sea waterway combined transport, standardised terminal coding, and a suite of technical specifications and example files. These deliverables lay a solid foundation for future digital platforms that can expose combined‑transport data to a broader audience, thereby supporting the German government’s climate goals by encouraging a shift toward greener freight modes.