Abstract
Synchromodal transport incorporates real-time events in a dynamic manner in order to facilitate the most suitable selection of modes, routes and handling points. Up until now, current assessments rely on analytical models. Most of these models average distances for barges and trains via route mapping platforms that provide realistic distances for road only. To reflect on real-world developments more accurately, new thinking and modelling approaches are necessary to bridge academic models with physical transport processes. This paper introduces a computational model which computes movements of agents in geographically referenced space. The model captures stochastic parallel processes for each mode, and simulates decentralized delivery performance of each order in terms of cost, time and emissions at an operational level. Furthermore, we study the routing of individual orders and their responsiveness to disruptions. Computational experiments are performed within a case study which concerns imports of retail goods by unimodal truck transport from France to Belgium. Our findings show that dynamic synchromodal solutions cope with disturbances better, but unnecessary deviations and pro-activeness can also lead to negative effects when compared to static intermodal solutions
Highlights
The growing cargo demand, increasing road congestion as well as reliability, safety and environmental concerns have increased the relevance of more efficient and/or sustainable freight transport
To answer our first research question, the modal shift potential is 26.5% and may increase to 39.5% and 58.4% when allowing for synchromodal solutions
We provide evidence that intermodal solutions can be efficient in terms of cost and time
Summary
The growing cargo demand, increasing road congestion as well as reliability, safety and environmental concerns have increased the relevance of more efficient and/or sustainable freight transport. By 2030, the ambition of the European Commission [1] is to shift 30% of freight transported by road to environmentally friendlier modes that have lower societal impact, such as rail and inland waterways. This shift should increase to 50% by 2050. Critical issues in this perspective are the modal choice preferences and transport mode selection [2,3,4]. Intermodal transport, which is a combination of two or more modes in one unified journey [5], provides more options and opportunities for a positive modal shift. Shippers perceive intermodal transport as a slow and inflexible solution with a limited service offer [7]
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