Design features of container platforms, specialized for loading containers into gondola cars

Abstract

The current state of affairs in cross-border and maritime transport services is significantly complicated by a number of factors affecting the territory of Russia and adjacent to it. First of all, this is a reversal of cargo flows to the East of the country, where transport highways have historically been represented by a less extensive railway network, greater length, complexity of its elements and structures. The increased load on the highway in the direction of the East has practically exhausted the capacity in terms of filling empty fitting platforms for the export of universal shipping containers from coastal territories. One of the measures to stabilize flows and search for backup solutions in the development of new traffic volumes was the introduction of Russian Railways technologies for transporting containers in gondola cars on the East–West Siberia sections, which are difficult from the point of view of operational work, and the advent of a new technology for transshipment of containers into fitting plates for further travel in areas experiencing less load. This technology is called transshipping. The massive loading of containers into gondola cars in the Far East revealed a number of problems and difficulties related to new operations, transportation technology and additional equipment necessary to prepare the train for the flight. Most of the loading sites were not ready to accept the entire volume of container shipments from the sea, and the development of existing and new loading sites specialized for this work was required. The article provides the main points on the layout of such loading sites, taking into account the existing experience of railways, rear terminals, ports. The diagrams of the construction sites and their arrangement are given, the main dimensions are determined and a rational arrangement of the elements is proposed, taking into account the compactness of placement and the ability to receive containers from vehicles with intensive unloading from the ship in the port.