PSA Italy's smart management of the Genova Pra' railway terminal

Among the companies that work with and develop projects for PSA Italy, we would like to share the experience of CIRCLE, with whom we have implemented the management of the railway hub, based on the experience and needs of the terminal of Genova Pra’.
In addition to the MTO, PSA Genova Pra’ launched the Stuttgart Express rail link in May 2023, after the successful experience of the Southern Express train, launched in October 2028. The two direct trains, connect the port of Genova respectively with Stuttgart and Basle. Here is how the chat with Simone Siria, Terminal & TOS Manager, went:

Smart management of the PSA Italy Genova Pra’ terminal railway hub: what are the automation mechanisms of these processes?
The management of the PSA Genova Pra’ railway hub has become “smarter”. November 2023 saw the installation of an automated system based on innovative Milos software and OCR technology (optical recognition of letters) by Camco Technologies. Developed by Circle Group together with the know-how of the terminal employees and PSA Italy developers, the Rail Management software integrates the Cosmos operative system in use at the PSA Italy Genova Pra’ terminal. Its functioning involves management, monitoring and planning for the railway hub. A completely digital solution, which automates a series of processes previously carried out manually by the operators in the railway office. The system has three main views - Planning, Real time and Gate Manager - and the Rail Execution module. In this article we will discover how it works.

What is the Gate Manager function?
The Gate Manager function is at the centre of the automation process. Here the Milos system integrates with Camco Technologies’ OCR system for the optical recognition of letters which, via the video cameras installed on an entrance to the railway hub, are capable of automatically recognising the serial numbers of every container entering or exiting the terminal. The two softwares are complementary: Milos manages and shares the train manifests obtained from the MTO (Marine Terminal Operator) using the Camco OCR, which checks that the order and position of the wagons and containers are correct as they enter and exit.

Following this check, Milos produces the final train manifest, which for entering trains is visualised in the Real Time view and for exiting trains is transmitted to the MTO and, therefore, to the next port of destination. In this way, not only are the train manifests highly reliable, but the entire process is much quicker because all the manual data entry previously required to fill them in is eliminated.

What tools are available to the PSA Italy Genova Pra’ terminal and rail hub user?
The planning view makes the programming of the tracks and loading and unloading easy and intuitive, with a series of automatic checks relating to the loading plan and the requested documentation. The first ensures that the containers are correctly distributed on the wagons based on size and weight, the second ascertain that each container is accompanied by the necessary documentation, for example the delivery order. Using the planning view means that at all time one has a precise picture of the situation in the rail hub, thanks also to an intuitive colour code: yellow indicates the trains that have still to enter, green those that have already entered.

How do Real Time and Rail Execution views work?
The Real Time view shows the exact status of the PSA Italy container terminal rail hub in real time. Also in this case the colour scheme makes it instantly clear to the operators in the rail office, which containers are to be moved: green indicates the containers to be unloaded, blue those to be loaded. The Real Time is based on the train manifest confirmed by the Camco OCR readings, which verify the actual correspondence of the containers’ order and position. Rail Execution is the module dedicated to the crane drivers, who can see the containers to be moved in real time. The module can be managed on a mobile device thanks to a specific app.

What are the advantages of automatising the data?
Automatic data management made possible by the combination of Milos and Camco presents a series of important advantages, including an improved user experience. Previously, controls were carried out manually by an operator from the Rail Office at the container terminal. Furthermore, automation substitutes the tedious work of data input, particularly in the case of inbound trains, and the computer system with its intuitive visual representation improves the capability for track planning through greater operational efficiency.