The design of a terminal network for intermodal transport

Abstract

A model called TERMINET 1 model has been developed to determine locations and capacities of road and rail terminals where transshipment of load-units between road vehicles and trains takes place. The model consists of a traffic conversion method which translates freight flows from tonnes to numbers of load-units as well as a freight flow consolidation method using existing assignment techniques. The TERMINET model examines the possible binding effect of terminal infrastructure and investigates the influence of the cost structure of intermodal transport which strongly determines the possible modal-shift from road to intermodal transport. The TERMINET model makes it possible to determine interactively or automatically inland terminal locations for transshipment of load-units between road vehicles trains. The influence of train length on terminal locations, terminal capacities and network load may be calculated. Besides these capabilities it is also possible to determine the overall system performance in tonnes, tonne-kilometres, TEUs and numbers of trains. The TERMINET model has been applied to the design of an inland road and rail terminal network in the Netherlands to be used in an intermodal road and rail freight transport system for international and Dutch domestic freight flows for the year 2015. The cost structure of intermodal transport has been examined. Cost calculations have been made to examine the effect of zero or complete passing on of external and infrastructure costs to both the road and rail mode. Furthermore, the effect of the maximum use of intermodal transport on the reduction of the growth of road transport has been examined.