Ecorys develops intermodal planner tool for KTL Ludwigshafen

KTL Ludwigshafen, one of Germany’s major logistics hubs, has launched a new intermodal planner for its clients. The online tool was developed with support of consultants from Ecorys. 

With a handling volume of 500.000 handlings per annum and up to 30 train pairs per day, KTL Ludwigshafen is one of the three biggest hinterland terminals in Europe. Founded in 1999, the hub today has 13 rail tracks under crane and 13 shunting tracks for train handling. 

In a bid to better service its customers seeking efficient transport solutions, as well as optimise demand-supply considerations from both ends of the transport value chain, KTL Ludwigshafen has developed an intermodal planner. The tool enables stakeholders to find the best and fastest intermodal service provider for transport between more than 1,000 terminals in 50 countries. The planner determines the optimal route from approximately 16,000 direct terminal-terminal connections offered by 150 intermodal service providers (rail, inland shipping and short sea), including transport times and frequencies of the connections. 

Once users have found their optimal route, the intermodal planner tool provides contact data of the transport operators and terminals.

According to a press release from the logistics hub, the new intermodal planner “supports KTL Ludwigshafen in achieving its growth targets by clearly showing the benefits of multimodal transport that uses the terminal in Ludwigshafen.”

The development of the tool was supported by logistics experts from Ecorys, an international consultancy and research firm. The consulting firm, which has three offices in the UK (Birmingham, London and Keele), is an expert in the field. Last year it developed an intermodal planner for the East-West Corridor in Europe, while it in 2015 also supported the Port of Amsterdam with the development of its own transport platform, among others.