Corridor Management is defined as: information services among fairway
authorities, waterway users and related logistic partners in order to optimize the use of inland navigation corridors within the network of European waterways.
Corridor Management aims at supplying River Information Services (RIS) to support fairway users and logistic parties, not just locally, but on a regional, national and international scale. It adds new services to the existing RIS. The supplied services in corridor management are all information services and thus support navigation and transport management on the network.
The objectives of corridor management are:
- Optimal use of infrastructure
- Optimal safety
- Reliable transport times
- Minimised delays
By sharing information between authorities and with the cooperation of public and private partners, the performance of inland navigation, the use of existing infrastructure and the interaction with the logistic partners improve.
Levels of corridor management
Three levels of corridor management are defined. However there is no hierarchical order in the levels, they just require different information services. The need to realise a certain level mainly depends on the characteristics of the fairway and the actual use of the fairway for transport. The cooperating fairway authorities at a specific corridor agree mutually on the services and functions they provide to the users and logistic partners on that specific corridor.
The levels of corridor management are:
Level 1: dynamic and static infrastructure information (fairway information)
Level 1 information enables reliable route planning by supplying dynamic and static infrastructure information such as
- information on the navigable fairway network
- information on static infrastructure (type of objects, dimensions, operating hours)
- information on dynamic infrastructure (limitations or blockages of the fairway/infrastructure)
- water levels, ice, bridge clearance, fairway depth.
Level 2: traffic information (actual and predicted)
Level 2 information enables reliable travelling times for voyage planning and for traffic management, by providing traffic information:
a. considering the actual usage of the waterway network (e.g. actual waiting times), with information on vessels, traffic and voyages
b. also considering predictions during a voyage (e.g. predicted waiting times on the corridor) when possible.
Level 3: information for logistic users
Level 3 information supports transport management of the logistic partners (e.g. deviation management), by
a. tracking of specific vessels and/or cargo
b. prediction of delays for specific vessels.
Read more...