Optimization for Operation and Information Process
of Railway Logistics
1st Zhe Liu
CRSC Research & Design Institute Group Co., Ltd
Beijing, P.R.China
liuzhe2710@crscd.com.cn
2021 China Automation Congress (CAC) | 978-1-6654-2647-3/21/$31.00 ©2021 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/CAC53003.2021.9728293
Abstract—In order to improve the transportation organization
and informatization level of railway logistics base, this paper
analyzes its informatization status and problems, puts forward
optimization methods, and puts forward optimization suggestions
for the operation process and information process of logistics
base, so as to help improve the operation efficiency.
Index Terms—logistics, railway logistics base, Operation pro-
cess, information process
I. I NTRODUCTION
In 2015, the former China Railway Corporation held a
modern logistics construction site meeting, and successively
issued the “Opinions on Accelerating the Development of
Railway Modern Logistic”, “Notice on Strengthening Lo-
gistics Dispatching Command”, “Opinions on Speeding up
the Construction of Railway Logistics Informationization”
and other documents, which clearly required to accelerate
the construction of China’s railway logistics network system
and build railway logistics bases and supporting information
systems [1]– [3].
The railway logistics base is built on the basis of freight
yards. The operation process of transportation organization
is similar to that of freight. The informatization construction
started late and the degree of automation is low. It is neces-
sary to continuously optimize its operations and information
processes by analyzing the informatization status to improve
efficiency and reduce costs.
II. OVERVIEW OF R AILWAY L OGISTICS BASE
A. Definition and classification
Railway logistics base refers to a place that relies on
railways to provide customers with logistics activities. Accord-
ing to China National Railway Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter
referred to as “National Railway Group”) on the layout and
planning of railway logistics bases, a total of 33 first-level
railway logistics bases and 175 second-level railway logistics
bases have been built. The third-level railway logistics base is
independently planned and constructed by the Railway Bureau
Group Company (hereinafter referred to as the “Railway
Bureau ”) [4].
The first-level railway logistics base serves national-level
circulation node cities and is a comprehensive logistics base
that meets the transportation needs of express trains, interna-
tional trains, and multimodal transport. The secondary railway
logistics base serves regional circulation node cities and meets
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the transportation needs of fast trains, intra-pipe express trains,
and multimodal transportation. The tertiary railway logistics
base serves regional circulation node cities, or plays an aux-
iliary role in national and regional circulation node cities,
meeting the transportation needs of general express trains,
intra-pipe circulation express trains, general cargo trains, and
multimodal transportation [5].
B. Service function
The railway logistics base has the characteristics of sound
logistics functions, large agglomeration radiation range and
strong storage throughput capacity, and has the function of pro-
viding logistics services, value-added services and supporting
services for society, enterprises or individuals [6]. Logistics
services refer to all service activities that occur from the
receipt of customer orders to the delivery of goods to the
recipient, including: acceptance, loading and unloading, trans-
portation, distribution, warehousing, delivery, and information
services. Value-added services refer to various extended ser-
vice activities provided based on the completion of logistics
services according to customer needs, including: equipment
leasing, financial logistics, consulting, price insuring, training,
and trade agency. Supporting services refer to other service
activities provided to customers, including: parking, catering,
property, maintenance and so on.
C. Position setting
The job positions of railway logistics base operators are
divided into four types: business hall, transportation organi-
zation, logistics operation organization and other operation
positions. The post in the business hall is responsible for
connecting with customers, completing order acceptance, cus-
tomer service and accounting, including: waybill acceptor,
accounting officer, freight delivery officer and customer ser-
vice. The transportation organization position is responsible
for railway transportation, including: station master on duty,
station dispatcher, district head, duty officer, signaller, freight
clerk, train number clerk and so on. Logistics operations
organization positions are responsible for road transportation
and internal operations, including: logistics dispatch, ware-
house administrator, pick-up and delivery commander, driver,
safety monitor, sorter, packer, and processor. Other operation
positions include system and network administrators, statistical
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analysts, equipment administrators, business administrators,
insurance agents, customs brokers, and access administrators.
III. I NFORMATION STATUS AND OPTIMIZATION METHODS
A. Status
Railway logistics bases are mostly formed based on the
transformation of railway freight stations. Compared with
large-scale highway logistics enterprises, railway logistics
bases started late, have more cumbersome operating proce-
dures, and are not smooth enough in information procedures,
and are informatized and automated. The degree is low, mainly
in the following aspects:
One is that informatization is only achieved in the organiza-
tion of railway transportation, and there is no fully functional
information system to support the organization of logistics
operations, such as the lack of warehousing and receiving
and delivery functions [4]. The second is that the e-commerce
function of the order acceptance link is realized through the
95306 website, but the linkage between the order and the work
order of other links is insufficient, and a simple and optimized
work flow has not been formed [8]. The third is the lack of
information transparency, and it is difficult for customers to
grasp the real-time status and precise location of the goods.
Fourth, there is a lack of unified management and coordi-
nated operation of logistics facilities, equipment and operators.
Fifth, the existing application systems, including current trains,
freight tickets, confirmation reports, and freight management
systems, have realized information sharing through the railway
transportation information integration platform, but there are
also phenomena of inconsistent data standards, untimely re-
ports, and missed reports. Sixth, some railway logistics bases
have begun to develop and pilot information systems, but
they lack planning and standards, and it is easy to form new
“information silo”, which brings difficulties to information
interaction between different railway logistics bases.
B. Optimization
1) Formulate unified planning and data standards, develop
an integrated railway logistics base information system for the
entire railway, realize functional modules such as warehouse
management, pick-up and delivery, logistics scheduling, facil-
ity equipment and personnel management, and fully integrate
with existing application systems Form a closed loop of
information. The application of the information system will
also help to promote the cooperation and joint development of
the transportation organization work and the logistics operation
organization work of the railway logistics base, so as to max-
imize the transportation capacity and optimize the efficiency.
2) Establish a centralized order database for the whole route,
and aggregate the order data from the 95306 website, APP,
WeChat, telephone, and on-site acceptance for processing. The
system will divide the order according to the content of the
order, and automatically generate the railway transportation
waybill and the order for logistics operations. , And distributed
to relevant railway bureaus and railway logistics bases to carry
out railway transportation and logistics operations.
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3) Driven by orders, each operation link is closely con-
nected, and the operation process is simplified around the
order. And take the order as the main line to run through the
whole process of goods delivery, match the information flow
with the goods flow, and provide the operation management
personnel and customers with the full track and real-time
tracking service of the goods.
4) The system-assisted logistics scheduling generates logis-
tics work orders such as pick-up and delivery, warehousing,
and transportation according to the order of the logistics
operation, the condition of the facilities and equipment, the
railway transportation plan and the actual. Coordinate the
operation of various logistics resources to realize the integrated
operation of receiving and delivering, loading and unloading,
transportation, storage, packaging and processing.
5) Provide operators with mobile applications on handheld
terminals. They can receive work orders on handheld terminals
and fill in the execution status of acceptance, ticket making,
cargo collection, loading and unloading trucks, warehousing
and so on. And can quickly obtain cargo-related information
by scanning codes Information, speed up the speed of infor-
mation circulation, and improve work efficiency.
6) Based on the railway transportation information integra-
tion platform, the existing application systems are upgraded
and transformed, and unified data standards and specifications
are gradually established. Strengthen the assessment of the in-
tegrated platform in management, improve the quality of data
reporting and collection, and ensure accuracy and timeliness.
7) Establish a unified railway logistics common information
platform for the whole road, gather information from various
railway logistics bases, realize information interaction between
railway logistics bases through the platform, and realize infor-
mation sharing with external systems such as ports, customs,
highway logistics parks, and enterprises.
IV. P ROCESS OPTIMIZATION ANALYSIS
A. Work flow
1) Transportation organization process optimization:
(1) Order management process
The railway logistics base receives orders processed by the
order system of the National Railway Group, and organizes
transportation and logistics operations according to the de-
mand for logistics operations in the orders. Work orders such
as pick-up and delivery, warehousing, processing and packag-
ing are generated by logistics scheduling and dispatched to the
corresponding job positions. Through the real-time feedback
of the operation progress by the operator, the order execution
process is monitored.
(2) Train vehicle management process
The train vehicle system interacts with the confirmation sys-
tem, the freight ticket system, and the train number recognition
system to realize automatic verification of the marshalling
information of the connected or final train, and it will au-
tomatically be converted to the actual current train after it
is confirmed. After loading and unloading, transfer or line
transfer, etc., adjust the current vehicle information. When
the train departs, the current train information automatically
generates a confirmation message.
(3) Transportation planning process
Information such as cargo location, loading, unloading,
and delivery in the railway logistics base is reported to
the integrated platform in real time, and the transportation
scheduling management system obtains this information from
the integrated platform. The plan dispatcher of the railway
bureau masters the traffic flow and freight information through
the transportation dispatch management system, prepares the
daily shift plan and sends it to each station and section for
execution. The information report and collection method here
can help dispatchers quickly and comprehensively grasp the
Fig. 2. Logistics operation organization optimization process of railway
information of the railway logistics base, thereby improving logistics base.
the accuracy of train flow estimation and the fulfillment rate
of daily shift plans.
(4) Freight management process B. Information flow
The process of receiving, warehousing, and delivery is Real-time acquisition of railway transportation related infor-
connected with the traditional railway transportation process, mation from existing systems, including: orders, train sched-
and the new system is combined with the existing system to ules, train marshalling, freight tickets, special cargo, dangerous
realize the rapid flow of information and the full management goods and other information. Logistics dispatch combines
of freight. railway transportation information and resource conditions to
The optimization process of transportation organization is organize logistics operations.
shown in Fig. 1. Operators at various positions on the site organize logistics
operations according to the dispatched warehousing, pick-
up, delivery, and handling work orders. Through the infor-
mationized operation list, it assists in realizing forecast in
advance, optimization and reduction of operation frequency,
and improvement of operation efficiency. It makes the goal
clearer and work more efficient.

Fig. 3. Information process optimization of railway logistics base.

Fig. 1. Transportation organization optimization process of railway logistics

base.
2) Logistics operation organization process optimization:
Through informationized warehousing, receiving and delivery,
handling and other operation orders, it can realize rapid
dispatch, online signing and completion of reports, and help
advance notice, work group dispatch, machine preparation,
reduce the number of operations, and improve operation
efficiency.
The logistics operation organization optimization process is
shown in Fig. 2.
V. C ONCLUSION
The difficulty in improving the informatization of railway
logistics bases lies in the numerous operation links, complex
processes, and a wide range of information sources, espe-
cially in the acquisition of external order information and the
control of internal transportation resource information. Only
by continuously optimizing its work flow and information
flow, opening up information jams, and accelerating the flow
of information, can the operating efficiency be continuously
improved.

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 R EFERENCES
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[3] China National Railway Group. Tie Zongyun [2015] No. 142 Opinions
on Speeding up the Construction of Railway Logistics Information.
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[4] China National Railway Group. Tie Zongjitong [2015] No. 232 Notice
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[5] H. Dianhui, “Study on layout planning of railway logistics center,”
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[7] L. Yang, “Considerations on the construction of railway logistics park
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[8] G. Lina, “Inquiry into the construction of railway logistics information,”
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