Rail Freight Container Management System Utilizing Radio Frequency Identification and Cargo Tracking Technology

Abstract

Real-time monitoring of cargo in transit is essential for improving safety and operational efficiency in public railway transportation systems. Although technologies such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Global Positioning System (GPS) have been widely applied in logistics, their systematic implementation within the Railway of Thailand remains limited. This paper proposes a real-time railway freight container management system designed to reduce operational errors and prevent cargo loss. The proposed system integrates UHF RFID technology with GPS-based tracking, enabling continuous identification and localization of cargo containers. Tracking data is transmitted to a centralized web-based platform via wireless communication networks for real-time monitoring and management. Experimental evaluation conducted under real operational conditions demonstrates that the system achieves an average end-to-end latency of 185 ms, with a maximum observed delay of approximately 310 ms, confirming its suitability for real-time railway logistics operations. GPS-based container localization yields a mean absolute positioning error of 4.8 meters, with a 95% confidence interval of 4.2–5.4 meters, based on 200 ground-truth samples. Comparative analysis shows that the parcel misplacement rate is reduced from 2.3% under manual handling procedures to 0.4% after system deployment, representing an 82.6% reduction in operational errors. The software platform adopts standard design patterns to enhance reliability and maintainability, while secure authentication is ensured using a bcrypt-based hashing mechanism. The results confirm the practicality and effectiveness of the proposed system for large-scale railway freight logistics.