Interoperable Digital Twins for Multimodal Transport Networks: Optimizing Passenger and Freight Journeys

This white paper addresses the critical challenge facing today’s multimodal transportation networks: systemic fragmentation across transport modes, data systems, and stakeholder organizations. These structural silos prevent end-to-end optimization of passenger and freight journeys, resulting in delays at intermodal hubs, disconnected travel experiences, elevated costs, and barriers to achieving resilience and decarbonization goals. The paper presents that overcoming these inefficiencies requires not isolated innovation, but interoperability at scale.

The solution centers on interoperable digital twins integrated with complementary technologies including AI agents, blockchain, geographic information systems (GIS), and mobile platforms to enable coordinated action across the transportation ecosystem. The white paper presents a comprehensive framework grounded in system-of-systems methodology, event-driven and distributed architectures, and a common information model. It provides government, industry, and technology leaders with a strategic blueprint and detailed roadmap to transition from fragmented operations to a unified, high-performing multimodal future that optimizes both passenger and freight journeys while advancing sustainability objectives.

This white paper is supported by a compendium of case studies that will be released, expanding on each specific case study and culminating in a top-level system of systems. Together, they form a living document series designed to evolve alongside consortium research and implementation.

Download the paper below.