Intermodal Freight Transportation Systems Research Articles

An integrated intermodal freight transportation system to avoid container supply chain disruptions in Chattogram Port of Bangladesh

An integrated intermodal freight transportation system is a derived demand to transport shipping containers from/to the seaport to/from the hinterland, instead of undertaking cargo loading and unloading activities in port-protected areas. The concept of the intermodal system is to transfer containers to nearby hinterland nodes, such as dry ports, inland rail, road, and river terminals as a part of port development, as well as increasing port efficiency and productivity. Lloyd’s List ranked Chattogram Port as the 67th busiest container port in the world as per container port throughput in 2022. Chattogram Port has small-scale intermodal facilities for off-docks/ICDs in the port city only. In addition, a pure intermodal system has been developed by one rail ICD in the capital city, Dhaka, and two RICTs nearby Dhaka, but less than 5 % of port throughput. A large-scale intermodal for serving the major cities, SEZs, EPZs, and industrial areas is absent due to planning and policy problems, as well as the unavailability of intermodal infrastructure and network. Due to an improper hinterland intermodal chain, the port faced container supply chain disruptions at the port yard and exceeded port capacity, resulting in container vessel congestion at the outer anchorage of Chattogram Port. By developing rail and road infrastructure, and utilizing natural river connectivity, it is possible to develop road, rail, and river intermodal systems, and shape an integrated intermodal freight transportation system to avoid container supply chain disruptions in Chattogram Port. To develop an integrated intermodal system, this research chose a quantitative research methodology for port throughput data analysis and forecasting future throughputs that are advanced to the intermodal model for Chattogram Port. Overall, this paper aims to develop an integrated intermodal freight transportation system to support Chattogram Port to keep and increase the record of port productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness actively. Highlights Intermodal system is a derived demand for managing hinterland and port terminals of a seaport that needs to be implemented in Chattogram Port Container supply chain disruptions to be avoided to increase the port productivity and efficiency Inland intermodal connectivity will help to increase hinterland of a seaport It is necessary to develop an integrated intermodal freight transportation system to support Chattogram Port to keep and increase the record of port productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness globally

Multiple Linear Regression Analysis of Canada’s Freight Transportation Framework

Background: Finding trends in freight transportation activities enables businesses and policy makers to build an understanding of freight transportation patterns and their impact on logistics planning when making investments in a region’s transportation infrastructure and intermodal freight transport system. To the best of our knowledge, there is limited literature and data-driven analysis about trends in transportation mode choices and the influencing factors in Atlantic Canada. Methods: In this study, a data-driven method has been used to analyze the Canadian Freight dataset to identify trends in transportation activities within Maritime, Canada. Freight transportation mode, product categories, distance, number/weight of shipments, and revenue were examined. Results: The results revealed that the top five product categories exported from Atlantic provinces to the rest of Canada, the US, and Mexico are miscellaneous items, food products, forest products, minerals, and other manufactured goods, where Truck for Hire is the most deployed mode of transportation. A multiple linear regression analysis indicated that the weight, distance, and number of shipments are positively and rather strongly correlated with revenue generation. Conclusions: This study provides a unique overview of Canadian Freight Analysis Framework (CFAF) data with a focus on maritime activities.

Внедрение цифровых решений в систему интермодальных грузоперевозок

Purpose: To justify the use of a digital platform at organization of rail freight transportation, allowing to minimize transportation costs, delivery time, time loss at all stages of lifecycle and to simplify significantly the access to infrastructure facilities. The given study confirms that the introduction of advanced digital technologies into intermodal freight transportation system contributes to the effective interaction between railway companies, seaports and regulatory authorities. Methods: Analytical methods of reporting data of Asian and European railway companies — members of International Railway Union, Russian and foreign forwarding companies as well as data of Russia Federal Customs Service and foreign customs authorities are used. Results: The procedure for documentation electronic processing, using mobile workstations, is systematized, the effects from creation of pilot freight transportation are determined, the importance of the expansion of digital environment of trust between participants in intermodal freight transportation — railway companies, seaports and regulatory authorities — is substantiated. Practical importance: The obtained results have an applied character since they propose and justify a number of measures aimed at stirring up of electronic interaction of cargo transportation process participants.

Performance measurement in intermodal freight transport systems: literature review and research agenda

Performance measurement in intermodal freight transport systems: literature review and research agenda

Performance measurement in intermodal freight transport systems: literature review and research agenda

Performance measurement in intermodal freight transport systems: literature review and research agenda

Simulation and optimisation for intermodal freight transport system with seaport and railway terminals

Simulation and optimisation for intermodal freight transport system with seaport and railway terminals

Simulation and optimisation for intermodal freight transport system with seaport and railway terminals

Simulation and optimisation for intermodal freight transport system with seaport and railway terminals

The role of Chittagong port to support MSR in providing maritime transport facilities through intermodal in Asia

Among the seaports in the Bay of Bengal, Chittagong port is in a lucrative position to cover the maximum spatial transportation in Asia. Probably, China-proposed Maritime Silk Road (MSR) under the banner of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) had overlooked Chittagong port as maritime load centre in the South Asian region due to geopolitical issue. A recent performance of Chittagong port in terms of container throughput and considering the hinterland potentiality by MSR, Chittagong port is visualized load centre or connector in the region attractively. The intermodal freight transportation system brought the new dimension in the port regionalization. Driven in particular, Chittagong port’s geographical position and performance are two important indicators in serving through the intermodal system to the region timely and economically. The main objective of port development in Bangladesh is to act as maritime load centre of MSR and offer port services not only for Bangladesh but also to provide maritime transport facilities as well as seaport access to the landlocked countries Nepal and Bhutan, naturally locked part of India, southwest part of China and neighbouring country Myanmar for regional development. In addition to the literature review, this research used a qualitative research method with the combination of primary and secondary data collected from the field. Moreover, one network model is designed on how Chittagong port will provide the hinterland services to the region and implement the dictum of MSR and BRI. Overall, this paper aims to investigate the potentiality of Chittagong port to serve as a regional maritime load centre of MSR for developing an integrated intermodal freight transportation system in Asia.

Analyzing interrelationships and prioritising the factors influencing sustainable intermodal freight transport system: A grey-DANP approach

Abstract The intermodal railroad (IRR) based freight transport system is considered as the most sustainable way of goods distribution. Although there are many inhibitors which obstruct the popularity of intermodal transportation. Most of the previous work consider inhibitors as an independent and quantitative factor, but in the real world, these inhibitors are interdependent as well as qualitative in nature. To fill this gap, this paper proposes a hierarchical framework based on the grey-Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (grey-DEMATEL) and Analytic Network Process (ANP), i.e. gDANP. The integration of grey theory into DEMATEL provides a better inclusion of subjectively of the decision-making process. The originality of this work comes from its ability to combine operational, technological & infrastructural, knowledge, organisational, and government policy & regulations dimensions and its attributes for evaluating IRR inhibitors. The proposed framework is validated with a case of the Indian IRR system. The integrated framework provides interrelationships and priority weight of such dimensions and related attributes. Influential network relation map (INRM) develops useful policy suggestions for improving the share of intermodal services in the Indian freight industry. The present work also provides necessary managerial and theoretical insights for freight transport policymakers and researchers.

The role of Bangladeshi ports in developing integrated intermodal freight transportation system in South Asia

This paper aims to find out the role of Bangladeshi ports in South Asia for developing integrated intermodal freight transportation system to mitigate the demand of port transport in the region through container from port to inland container depot or dry port or inland container terminal even from/to shipper/consignee premises. The strategic location of Bangladeshi ports in the Bay of Bengal are lucrative for the international traders, investors and others to invest in the port industry as well as manufacturing industry to develop international trade in South Asia especially in India, Nepal , Bhutan and Bangladesh . In addition, Bangladesh has opportunity to serve Myanmar through coastal shipping and road haulage of containers. In here, port rivalry among the ports of Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka is described to focus the importance of Bangladeshi ports also to get the real scenario of port facilities in South Asia. At the end of the paper, deep port initiative is attributed to connect with the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative of China. Finally, in the view of intermodal freight transportation and port competition in the regions, future directions are stated for Bangladeshi ports to compete with others in the South Asian region.

Review of Sustainable Multimodal Freight Transportation System in African Developing Countries: Evidence from Ghana

The importance of transportation in the socio-economic development of nations cannot be downplayed. Intermodal transport has become vital concept for ensuring sustainable freight transport in developed economies but less focused on among African scientific community as it attracts fewer researches and developments. This paper aims to review and promote the development of sustainable intermodal freight transport systems in African developing countries with insights from Ghana.The researchers adopted literature review approach for the global intermodal developments and that of developing economies with emphasis on Africa and Ghana.Transport experts and experienced practitioners’ opinions were sought to complement the limited literature on the means to improve intermodal transport and logistics management systems. Authors discovered that some African countries like Ghana potentially posses some relevant multimodal resources such as seaport, waterway, railway and road infrastructures. However, they are not well interconnected to acquire intermodal benefits. Besides, the existing transportation systems were mostly road dominated and frauded with cost-inefficiencies; greenhouse gas emissions, traffic congestion, accidents, high maintenance and service deficiencies.The constraints are lack of skilled labor, limited infrastructure, safety and security problems, limited institutional capacity, poor intermodal transport network and connectivity issues. Some practical measures to improve the lapses in the transport system were highlighted. It was suggested that management of African developing countries must remodify their transport policies to attract investors and transport players. This would strengthen Public Private Partnerships (PPP) collaborations in developing intermodal freight transport and logistics systems.

Conceptual Design and Analysis of Rotation-Aligning Bogie Mechanism for Inter-modal Automated Freight Transport Systems

Conceptual Design and Analysis of Rotation-Aligning Bogie Mechanism for Inter-modal Automated Freight Transport Systems

Technical Trends Related to Intermodal Automated Freight Transport Systems (AFTS) *

In recent years, advanced countries including the US, Germany, the Netherlands and Japan have been actively developing automated intermodal freight transport system technology aimed at reducing greenhouse gas and fine dust, minimizing infrastructure costs and logistics costs, and mitigating traffic congestion have. The purpose of this study is to provide direction for the development of automated intermodal freight transport system by analyzing trends of related technology.

Feasibility study for the introduction of synchromodal freight transportation concept

The current weaknesses of the conventional intermodal freight transportation system have led to the development of the synchromodal freight transportation concept introduced and piloted in the Netherlands. The innovative concept has the advantage of adding flexibility, cost reduction, and sustainability among other things, into the freight transportation system. The synchromodal system has not been started in any developing country yet due to its newness. In this study, we used multiple methodologies to conduct a feasibility study for the possibilities of introducing the concept in a developing country, Ghana. An intensive literature review was performed using the Grounded Theory and the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) method to identify the key factors for the introduction of the synchromodal concept. Questionnaires were administered to the primary stakeholders in the maritime-hinterland transportation sector to solicit their views about the factors necessary for the implementation. We next carried out SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis to catalogue the strengths and weakness of the country in introducing the concept. The multiple regression analysis method was used to analyse the experience of stakeholders in the freight transportation business and their knowledge about the synchromodal freight transportation system. The results of the study show that it is possible to introduce the concept in the country. However, there is the need to improve the current transportation and ports infrastructure of the country considerably for successful synchromodal system adaptation. There is also the need for stakeholders education on the concept.

Sustainable freight transport optimisation through synchromodal networks

The conventional intermodal freight transportation system lacks the needed flexibility, efficiency and effectiveness among other things. The search for more sustainable system for maritime-hinterla...

Advanced Intermodal Freight Transportation System For Sustainable City Logistics: An Application In Fashion Industry

Advanced Intermodal Freight Transportation System For Sustainable City Logistics: An Application In Fashion Industry

Modeling dry-port-based freight distribution planning

In this paper we review the dry port concept and its outfalls in terms of optimal design and management of freight distribution. Some optimization challenges arising from the presence of dry ports in intermodal freight transport systems are presented and discussed. Then we consider the tactical planning problem of defining the optimal routes and schedules for the fleet of vehicles providing transportation services between the terminals of a dry-port-based intermodal system. An original service network design model based on a mixed integer programming mathematical formulation is proposed to solve the considered problem. An experimental framework built upon realistic instances inspired by regional cases is described and the computational results of the model are presented and discussed.

Evaluation of Performances of Intermodal Import-Export Freight Transport System in Ethiopia

Freight transport system that minimizes costs, increase conveniences, and environmentally safe has become the agenda worldwide since long before. This study was made with the main objective of assessing intermodal termed as “multimodal” freight transport service in Ethiopia. Data was collected by using structured questionnaire from randomly selected customers and multimodal freight transport section employees of Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Service Enterprise. The study was made in two stages using customers: first, they were asked to evaluate their satisfaction with the multimodal freight transport system; second, to evaluate their comparative satisfaction with the segmented/“uni-modal” freight transport system against five major freight transport performance indicators. Customers were also asked to identify and rank top ten problems of freight transport logistics in Ethiopia. Data were analyzed using SPSS and excel sheets with descriptive statistics and the results were depicted using charts and tables. The study indicated that majority of customers were either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with many of the performance indicators. The employees evaluated their organization as well performing relatively on more performance indicators. Both customers and employees evaluated the documentation performances as satisfying but cost and convenience as dissatisfying performances. Customers identified repetitive custom checking and waste of time in custom inspections process as the most severe problem in freight transport logistics in Ethiopia. The implementation of intermodal freight transport system to bring better change in import-export freight transport logistics of Ethiopia was in bitter challenge for customers due to a number of problems, except documentation performance that showed betterment.

An intermodal freight transport system for optimal supply chain logistics

Complexity in transport networks evokes the need for instant response to the changing dynamics and uncertainties in the upstream operations, where multiple modes of transport are often available, but rarely used in conjunction. This paper proposes a model for strategic transport planning involving a network wide intermodal transport system. The system determines the spatio-temporal states of road based freight networks (unimodal) and future traffic flow in definite time intervals. This information is processed to devise efficient scheduling plans by coordinating and connecting existing rail transport schedules to road based freight systems (intermodal). The traffic flow estimation is performed by kernel based support vector mechanisms while mixed integer programming (MIP) is used to optimize schedules for intermodal transport network by considering various costs and additional capacity constraints. The model has been successfully applied to an existing Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) distribution network in India with encouraging results.

Estimating trade-off among logistics cost, CO2 and time: A case study of container transportation systems in Korea

One of the basic necessary conditions for successful implementation of policies which encourage the use of intermodal freight transportation systems is to understand “what the desired mode share of the intermodal freight transportation systems is” and also “what the trade-off relationships among various concerns such as logistics cost, time and CO2 emissions are”. The objective of this study is to estimate the trade-off relationships among logistics cost, time and CO2 emissions of the freight transportation systems of Korea. For this, container cargo data, the road network for trucks and the railway network are used as a case study. The relationships are estimated by assigning container cargoes between production zones and consumption zones and by solving linear-programming-based transportation problems. This study clearly shows the trade-off relationships between attributes. The desired levels of modal split of the railway-based intermodal freight transportation system with respect to different aspects are identified. It is considered that the findings of this study would be valuable as anchor points for setting national policy directions on freight transportation system development and determining the level of subsidies for shippers or carriers who shift from trucking to a railway-based intermodal freight transportation system.