Flexible shunting solutions for rail and road in freight transport

Freight transport by rail has been under pressure for years. Efficiency, costs and flexibility are key factors, especially in shunting operations, where time losses and high personnel costs quickly become expensive. Classic shunting locomotives are powerful, but large, heavy and oversized in many application scenarios.

At the same time, the demands on manoeuvrability, automation and cost-effectiveness are increasing. It is precisely in this area of tension that road-rail vehicles come into their own, connecting road and rail and opening up new possibilities in everyday shunting operations. During the conversation, it becomes clear that Zwiehoff has consistently specialised in this niche. The company develops vehicles that can be used both on rail and road, thereby challenging traditional shunting operations. The approach is pragmatic: less weight, less complexity, but more flexibility in everyday use.

Road-rail vehicles as the answer to rigid shunting processes

Road-rail vehicles are designed to operate between road and rail without the need for costly infrastructure changes. In shunting operations, this means that wagons are moved on the rails while the vehicle itself travels smoothly along paved roads to the next track system. The wagons are placed on the rails directly on site, without the need for additional shunting locomotives or long transfer journeys. This results in considerable time savings, especially in industrial areas, ports or factory railways with several tracks that are not directly connected. Instead of heavy locomotives, compact vehicles are used that are precisely tailored to this purpose. The focus is not on maximum speed or pulling power for long distances, but on precise, efficient movement in the local area.

Why smaller is often more economical

A key feature of the vehicles is their compact design. While classic shunting locomotives use their weight to generate sufficient traction on the rails, the concept here relies on rubber tyres. Traction via tyres is significantly higher than pure static friction between steel and steel. This means that considerable weight can be saved with comparable pulling power. This design decision has a direct impact on cost-effectiveness and operation. Less mass means lower energy consumption, less wear and tear, and lower maintenance costs. At the same time, the vehicles are easier to transport, quicker to deploy, and require less space in the depot. For many users, this is a decisive factor, especially where shunting tasks are regular but not extensive.

Manoeuvring without a driver's cab

Another aspect that distinguishes the concept from classic solutions is the type of operation. The vehicles are traditionally controlled by radio remote control. The driver does not sit in a fixed driver's cab, but moves freely within the working area. This increases visibility, improves safety and allows precise manoeuvring even in confined spaces. This type of operation is well suited to modern safety requirements. The operator can position themselves so that they have a constant view of couplings, track layout and surroundings. This is a significant advantage, especially when shunting on factory premises with public traffic or in confined industrial areas.

Automation as the next step in development

In addition to radio control, automation is also increasingly coming into focus. A joint project between DB Systel and RWTH Aachen University is working on enabling these vehicles to drive automatically in the future. The aim is to map shunting processes partially or completely autonomously. This is the industry's response to several challenges at once: the shortage of skilled workers, increasing safety requirements and the desire for predictable, reproducible processes. Automated shunting vehicles could take on standardised tasks in the future, while human labour would be deployed specifically where experience and situational intervention are required. The time frame for this development is a few years, which shows how concrete and practical the research has become.

Cost structure and application scenarios

Investment costs are an often underestimated factor in shunting operations. Traditional shunting locomotives are not only large and heavy, but also correspondingly expensive to purchase and maintain. The road-rail vehicles presented here are in a significantly lower price range. This makes application scenarios economical that were previously covered either manually or with inefficient temporary solutions.

Typical areas of application are:

• Shunting work on industrial and factory railways
• Goods handling in ports and logistics centres
• Maintenance and service work on sidings
• Flexible use on track systems that are not continuously connected

A change in the understanding of shunting technology

Developments show that shunting technology does not necessarily have to be large, heavy and complex. Rather, it is a matter of precisely analysing the actual requirements in operation and developing solutions tailored to them. Road-rail vehicles are a prime example of this approach: less oversizing, more purpose-oriented.

For operators, this means greater flexibility, lower costs and new opportunities to organise shunting processes efficiently. In combination with automation and digital control, such vehicles could play an even greater role in the future, especially in times when efficiency and resource conservation are becoming increasingly important. A look at these developments makes it clear that innovation in rail transport is not only taking place on high-speed lines or in large-scale projects, but also in the seemingly unspectacular everyday world of shunting – where small changes can have a big impact.