Case Study
Network Rail Digital Freight Loads Books (DFLB)
Built by Railwhere helps Network Rail to take freight train planning to a new level.
Overview
Network Rail issued a tender for the development of a digital platform to support the outdated Excel formal loads books system used to manage the weight and length restrictions of freight trains on the UK rail network. The tender was awarded to Lampada Digital Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Hull and predecessor to Railwhere. The proposed solution met and exceeded the tender requirements by building on the strong foundations of the Railwhere software platform elements and adding customised elements in line with Network Rail’s requirements.
This includes a geospatial route map-based user interface that is much more intuitive and visually appealing than the previous Excel versions. As a further enhancement, the latest methodology for calculating maximum load values, as developed by the RSSB, was incorporated in the new Digital Freight Loads Books system. We delivered the project on time, within budget and meeting or exceeding all requirements. A key differentiator of the project was the way our team integrated with the Network Rail project team and this was recognised by winning the 2024 “Rail team of the year” award at the Rail Staff Awards.