Concept approach of interfaces for supermodal Transport Units for innovative pod systems

Abstract

Cities today face significant challenges in the transport sector. Growing demand for freight transport and efficient public transport services often leads to congestion, pollution, and unpleasant journeys. Significant investment in existing infrastructure and personnel is needed to adapt the system towards higher efficiencies. In addition, customers want more personalized travel options and comfort. A promising approach to address these challenges is a system that goes beyond simple intermodality and enables seamless transport using different modes of transport without passengers or goods having to change directly. Such a concept is based on a pod system with standardized transport units for passenger or freight, that are compatible with different powered carrier vehicles. This enables the smooth transfer of transport units and their cargo between road, rail, shipping, or cable cars. The EU-funded research project Pods4Rail (part of HORIZON-ER-JU-2022-FA6-01) aims to lay the foundations for the implementation of such a pod system. One major challenge is the development of interfaces between the transport units and various carrier vehicles, as well as other system components such as transshipment systems or cranes, which are necessary for the seamless transfer. The integration of this pod system with the rail infrastructure as its backbone creates a new form of efficient, sustainable, comfortable, and safe mobility for people and goods without the need of new infrastructure. This work briefly introduces the new pod system and explains the technical interfaces required. Particular focus is placed on the conceptual approach for mechanical locking interfaces for intermodal transport units, in which existing standards are applied to new technologies. The advantages and challenges of the interface design are discussed in the context of the functional requirements and specifications for handling the transport units. The paper shows, that existing standardization can be applied to new applications to enable a quick scale up and deployment of new transport solutions.