Advancing technology, new business models, and dramatic shifts in customer behaviour have reshaped the logistics industry in the first two decades of this millennium and there is a lot more to come AdobeStock 414319532Most logistics companies are investing in modern digital solutions to enhance their operations. (Image source: Adobe Stock) With cargo and freight volumes creeping up once more after the Covid-19 lockdowns, logistics operators are looking to strengthen systems and processes that can add value and improve efficiencies in the supply chain. Digital solutions such as 5G, Big Data, IoT, blockchain and automation can build transparency, reduce cost, enhance customer experience, among other potential benefits. The effort is well worth it in what is becoming an increasingly interconnected world. “The connection between a country’s digital capabilities and growth prospects is undeniable,” said Agility’s chief executive, Tarek Sultan, on the launch of the 2022 Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index recently. The Index notes that those African economies that have worked to improve their infrastructure, business conditions and overall competitiveness are generally performing far better against other emerging markets. The same can be said perhaps for companies, large and small, who keep abreast of technology. It has already transformed how the big operators work across the continent.

SITARAIL recently took delivery at the Port of Abidjan of a new tamping-levelling-lining machine for maintenance on the railway between Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso

The new tamping-levelling-lining machine for maintenance on the railway between Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso was delivered to SITARAIL at the Port of Abidjan. (Image Source: SITARAIL)

Presented at the recent International Exhibition for Track Technology (IAF) in Munster, Germany, this innovation is essential for positioning rails correctly and detecting infrastructure failures in order to restore the best possible track parameters.

Designed by Austrian company Plasser & Theurer, a world leader in railway technology, this next-generation equipment enables sleepers to be processed at a higher rate, and allows for greater precision in track maintenance operations. It thereby guarantees the reliability of the railway infrastructure with a view to improving customer satisfaction.

“The acquisition of this new ultra-modern tamper is a strategic investment that is part of the modernisation of our maintenance tools, with the aim of improving the safety of our rail transport equipment. Our vision is to equip SITARAIL with innovative rail infrastructure, in order to ensure sustainable management of the railway network between Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso,” said Quentin Gerard, managing director of SITARAIL.

With the acquisition of this new railway equipment, SITARAIL renews its commitment to the modernisation of its maintenance equipment.