Single wagon and wagon group transport is the backbone of a comprehensive rail freight network, giving shippers with smaller freight flows viable access to rail. For operators, too, this segment offers real economic opportunity – provided capacity is planned and utilised efficiently. Yet today, such transports are often complex, fragmented, and difficult to make profitable: each operator runs its own network, while matching supply and demand still relies on slow, manual coordination via calls, emails, and spreadsheets. Limited transparency into available train capacity drives up costs through underutilised trains, avoidable detours, and empty runs.

The Rail Capacity Broker addresses these challenges by enabling coordinated wagonload planning across company borders. Operators publish available capacity such as routes, schedules, free length and weight, and restrictions, while shippers submit transport needs in a structured way. The RCB algorithm matches supply and demand across networks, creating a virtual wagonload network that supports joint traffic concepts and coordinated offers. Feasibility checks cover first- and last-mile connections and handover points, reducing coordination effort and speeding up decisions. The result is higher train utilization, new rail options for smaller flows, and improved economic efficiency for all participants.