RESULTS OF THE EVALUATION OF F-MAN – AN INNOVATIVE SOLUTION FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF RAILWAY CARGO FLEETS

In this paper the authors present the quantitative results of the final assessment of the EU project Rail Car Asset Management (hereinafter referred to with its short name, F-MAN). The objectives of the project were to investigate the feasibility, the potential impacts and benefits of a new approach toward the management of a freight railcars fleet, aiming at improving the competitiveness of Railway Cargo Operators in the context of freight transport. The F-MAN Consortium identified the requirements, designed the architecture, specified and developed the on-board and ground fixed components of an IT-based system enabling enhanced fleet management of freight railcars and introducing asset management in the process of the international transport chain.