SISCOG, a Portugal-based software company that specializes in solutions for optimized planning and management of resources in transportation companies has secured a contract with a new international client: VIA Rail Canada, the company announced Jan. 19, 2016.
VIA Rail is Canada’s national rail passenger service and operates intercity, regional and transcontinental trains linking over 400 communities across the country, and safely transporting nearly four million passengers annually. The trains that run on the 12,500 kilometers rail network used by VIA Rail, going from the Atlantic to the Pacific across five time zones, will be optimized with SISCOG’s “ONTIME” and “FLEET” optimization solutions, the company says.
In addition to the generation of timetables and the planning of the use of rolling stock (locomotives and cars), SISCOG’s solution also allows for the creation of special timetables or the adjustment of service for unexpected events. The timetable and the fleet plan, which are both optimized, are designed taking into account the forecasted demand, network and vehicle availability and VIA Rail’s own strategic goals.
João Pavão Martins, SISCOG’s CEO and Founding Partner, states, “this contract is an important milestone as it represents the sale of two new and integrated products to a new railway client. It is with great enthusiasm that we embrace this new project with VIA Rail, considered by Canadians as a reliable national company and that transports nearly four million passengers annually.” SISCOG already has clients in six north European countries and the new client in the American continent is considered relevant to gain other clients in this geographic area, one of SISCOG’s goals.
The contract was signed as a result of SISCOG’s participation in an international public tender in 2014. Following the proposal, an intensive evaluation and negotiation phase took place, including the development of a prototype. SISCOG was the winning tenderer due to the quality and optimization capabilities of its products. VIA Rail’s goal when issuing this tender was to decrease operation costs while increasing frequency and seat availability to passengers. With the new system, VIA Rail will have permanent access to several key performance indicators, such as fuel consumption, the time a train is immobilized or the personnel needed to operate the train, as well as the possibility of making simulations towards the definition of the ideal capacity that maximizes profit through efficient operation and optimal ticket pricing.
The system will be fully operational by the summer of 2016. Three implementation phases will occur until then, the first of which occurred at the end of 2015. All phases include training and user support, in person or remotely through telephone or Internet. After implementation, a maintenance contract will enter into effect, which will contribute, to the organic growth of SISCOG’s client portfolio and turnover. Additionally, SISCOG also keeps on growing in terms of staff and in 2015 recruited more 15 people.