Modelling a rail/road intermodal transportation system (original) (raw)

Locating combined road-railway transport terminals: an application for facility location and optimal location models

The paper focuses on the analysis of the intermodal freight terminals location according to the potential transport demand as well as the distribution network structure. In this context, the main methodologies and models dealing with the facilities location problem are presented. In particular, the Weber model, the market areas theory and the facility location model allow to evaluate the best location according to potential demand; moreover, the optimal location model allows to design a hub and spoke network, dedicated to the combined transport, reaching important economies of scale. Finally, an application of both the facility location and optimal location models, related to the Italian intermodal freight terminals included in the influence area of the TEN-T network Corridor V, is carried out. Ingegneria Ferroviaria 7-8/2010, pp. 625-649; ISSN: 0020-0956.

Inter-modal freight terminal location in Europe: a strategic model

The political pressure in favour of multi-and inter-modal transport has oriented the focus on sustainable transport solutions. Inter-modal transport is one of the (partial) possible solutions, but its efficiency strongly depends on the places where the container terminals are located.

Lines and services in a strategic multi-modal freight network model: Methodology and application

2008

Strategic freight transportation network models often lack some kinds of refinements. This is, for instance, the case for railways transport flows, just because trains has to follow planned routes, called "lines". However, those models typically only compute one or more of shortest paths, which may not correspond to the actual lines. Consequently, beside the fact that the flows are not correctly rendered from a geographic point of vue, the total costs for railway transport is often underestimated and, in multi-modal models, the market-share for railway transport can be overestimated.

Optimal location of intermodal terminals in Europe: an evaluation model

1998

The goal of the EMOLITE project is to develop a selection and evaluation model for the location of intermodal terminals. The model will allow an accurate evaluation of potential sites for the development of freight and passenger terminals according to both internal and external requirements, considering the dynamic and continuously changing environment of freight and passenger transport. Specifically we will create a decision support system designed to be used at a strategic level, which includes a simulation module using Fuzzy Logic.

Designing Multimodal Freight Transport Networks: A Heuristic Approach and Applications

Transportation Science, 2009

D esigning multimodal freight transport networks can facilitate the economic development of regions and countries as well as help to reduce negative environmental impacts. It is therefore crucial that such be undertaken in areas where more priority is given on road-based freight transport systems. This paper proposes a model for strategic transport planning, particularly in freight terminal development and interregional freight transport network design. The model determines a suitable set of actions from a number of possible actions, such as improving the existing infrastructure or establishing new roads, railways, sea links, and freight terminals. Modelling is undertaken within the framework of bilevel programming, where a multimodal multiclass user traffic assignment technique is incorporated within the lower-level problem, whilst the upper-level problem determines the best combination of actions such that the freight-related benefit-cost ratio is maximised. The upper-level problem involves combinatorial optimisation, and a heuristic approach based on genetic local search is applied as a solution technique. Empirical results of the model as applied to an actual large-sized interregional intermodal freight transport network show that genetic local search could provide better performance as compared to other genetic algorithm-based, as well as tabu search-based, heuristics. The model is successfully applied to transport network planning in the Philippines, where the development of a freight transport network is necessary to increase the utilisation of other modes rather than road-based vehicles.

Optimal rail-road container terminal locations on the European network

Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and …, 2009

The European transport policy has focused on sustainable transport solutions, among which intermodal transport is a key player. However, its efficiency is strongly dependent on the location of the container terminals. In this paper, a set of estimated potential locations is used as input for an iterative procedure based on the p-hub median problem that takes the variation in trans-shipment costs according to the number of trans-shipped containers into account. The final results are the optimal locations for European transfer terminals embedded in a hub-and-spoke network.