RAIL FREIGHT SOFTWARE

3Squared winner in DfT and Innovate UK’s ‘First of a Kind’ (FOAK) competition

RAIL software and solutions specialist 3Squared have secured funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) and Innovate UK’s ‘First of a Kind’ (FOAK) competition, to further develop its PathPlanner tool to improve freight operations and unlock network capacity, across the UK rail network.

The FOAK competition aims to support and enable new projects to help create a greener, more efficient railway for all. This year’s competition focused on new concepts that will transform rail travel for passengers and decarbonise the network.

PathPlanner is an innovative software solution designed to help freight operators run additional trains. It does this by utilising over 7 years’ worth of historical train records to help planners quickly identify available paths which can be bid to Network Rail through the Very Short-Term Planning (VSTP) process – therefore allowing them to take advantage of much needed spare, and potentially wasted, capacity.

Jason Durk, Principal Consultant at 3Squared, commented: “It is fantastic that 3Squared have secured prestigious FOAK funding to further develop and enhance PathPlanner, a system that we hope will transform the rail freight industry – especially at a time when the sector is undergoing significant growth and it has never been more important to focus on reducing carbon emissions.

“At 3Squared, we have been working hard to create solutions that support the drive towards modal shift, moving freight from road to rail and supporting the industry’s aim to be both greener and more responsive. Through innovative application of technology, we look forward to making this a reality with PathPlanner, bolstered by wider industry support.”