RailData and Xrail have signed an agreement to co-develop the Mobile Application for Rail Freight Services (MARS), a user-friendly solution designed to replace RailData’s Web Data Interface (WDI). MARS aims to streamline communication between small cooperation partners operating in the first mile, last mile, and transit on behalf of a lead Railway Undertaking (RU).
Inspired by the Rail Freight Forward Digital Platform (RFF DP) project, MARS will foster synergies within the RU ecosystem and showcase the collaboration between RailData and Xrail.
MARS Application Components
- FrontEnd: Web and mobile applications serving as the presentation layer, developed by Evolit.
- BackEnd: Comprising a Business Layer and an Adaptor Layer, both implemented by Lusis, RailData’s IT provider. The Adaptor Layer connects to existing RailData services (e.g., ORFEUS and ISR) and is designed to support future integration with additional RailData services.
- Enhanced ORFEUS and ISR: Existing ORFEUS and ISR applications will be upgraded to support MARS functionality.
Key Features
MARS will enable digital communication by allowing users to send and receive sector messages (e.g., ECN, WSM, Hermes) with other partners. To minimize manual data entry, the application will leverage pre-configured objects, such as those from ORFEUS and GCU Broker.
Project Commitment
The RailData Extraordinary General Assembly has committed to co-developing MARS in partnership with Xrail. Development is already underway, with architects actively working on the application.
Stay tuned for updates as RailData and Xrail advance this innovative solution to enhance rail freight services across Europe!
