Digitalization of Railway Transportation as a Factor for Improving the Quality of the Service

Current global events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war, have had a notable impact on the rise in the volume of freight transportation on the Georgian railway. Consequently, the efficient utilization of railway systems, along with monitoring the state of operational processes and technical equipment, plays a crucial role in ensuring smooth and uninterrupted transportation. Key factors to consider include speed, reliability, and the quality of shipments. Railway transportation is progressing worldwide, and effective management is undeniably a priority for our country.An essential element for identifying and managing freight wagons is the Arabic numerals printed on them, which indicate their main characteristics and ownership. According to internationally recognized agreements, foreign wagons, as well as those owned or temporarily used by railway administrations, must be promptly returned to their country of dispatch. Within the first 24 hours of crossing the border, "inventory" freight wagons are subject to an average daily charge of 20 Swiss francs, while owned wagons incur an average daily rental fee of US$30. This circumstance, along with rolling stock management, presents one of the critical issues.Currently, hundreds of railway employees are involved in identifying the rolling stock in our country. These workers walk along the stations where the parked rolling stock is located. Once they visually recognize the freight car numbers, they relay the information to the relevant station operators via transmitters. Initially, these operators manually record the numbers in special journals and then enter the data into a unified electronic registry system. As a result, railway freight shipments require significant human and time resources, with a high probability of error. This situation considerably slows down the speed of railway service and increases its costs.