Elements and Performance Criteria
- Identify freight requirements and resources
- Regular bookings for account customers for normal rail services are confirmed and details are forwarded to operations control
- Additional bookings for non-account customers are clarified with the customer and confirmation of bookings and freight train details are provided to the customer
- Details of regular and additional rail services, including planned running times, rolling stock and capacities, are confirmed
- After a period of non-contact, radio or other electronic contact is checked to ensure effective operation in accordance with standard operating procedures
- Plan consists and loads for freight trains
- Consists are planned, taking into account the need to move freight efficiently within constraints of wagon availability, motive power availability, personnel availability, track layout, track condition, gauge and weight
- Confirmed loads are allocated to suitable wagons and located within freight train consist to suit priorities
- Dangerous goods are identified for labelling and are located within the freight train consist as required under appropriate legislation and operational requirements
- Consists are planned to meet all requirements during planned movement of freight within and across the boundaries controlled by other organisations
- Details of freight train consists are forwarded to yard/terminal operations for freight loading planning purposes
- Maximum tonnage and freight train is identified and details forwarded for motive power allocation