On 14 December, the Common Components Group, developer of the TAF-TSI Common System Components, accepted the final delivery of the Common Interface and Reference File Platform. The delivery comprises both the mandatory TAF-TSI elements: the Common Interface and the Reference File System for rail locations and companies.
Both components are requisites for the implementation of TAF-TSI, a European regulation created as part of an effort to revitalise European freight railways in terms of customer service delivery and productivity.
These software components enable messaging and local systems to communicate required data between rail freight industry stakeholders to improve transit time reliability and shipment information. Additionally, the reference files ensure better interoperability of information systems and enhanced data quality.
Helping the sector deploy TAF-TSI
The Common Components help stakeholders to implement the TAF-TSI regulation by leveraging the considerable investments that companies have made in their existing applications. These applications hold critical data that need to be exchanged between partners in the transport chain. The common components offer industry data exchange, minimising modifications to their existing applications.
The flexible and robust message transformation and processing tools allow connections to virtually any legacy system – adapting the data to TAF-TSI compliant messaging. Furthermore, using state-of-the-art security and encryption allows secure communications over the open internet, without the need to support multiple, proprietary secure connections.
Availability
The system software components will be available to existing CCG stakeholders as of January 2012. The Common Interface licenses will also be made available to non-stakeholders in 2012.
About the Common Components Group (CCG)
The CCG is a Special Group of UIC that is in charge of the development, operations and maintenance of the TAF-TSI Common Components. Established in November 2008, the group is comprised of 50 individual corporate stakeholders from the rail freight sector. The CCG is non-discriminatory and will service any rail sector player wishing to implement the regulation.