Intermodal Transport System Research Articles

SYNTHESIS MODEL FOR THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF INLAND CARGO VESSELS TO OPERATE ON THE MAGDALENA RIVER

Inland waterways are presented both as a need and an opportunity for developing an intermodal transport system to boost Colombian economic growth. Riverine transportation as part of an intermodal system represents conveying a significant amount of cargo at a low cost and therefore reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To competitively include this cargo transportation alternative in an intermodal context, the development of effective container vessels is required. Most of the Colombian rivers present sedimentary, high flow, and low depth nature. Then, the design of riverine cargo vessels capable of navigating in shallow waters with less brake power requirements is needed. A synthesis model: an automatic and integrated design procedure, has been programmed to generate and evaluate feasible vessel dimensions at a conceptual design stage. Through systematic variations of the main dimensions, this procedure allows evaluating a design space in which the most effective concept-vessel solution is selected. At the end of this procedure, the main characteristics for container vessels in the Magdalena River at a conceptual design stage, are defined. Validation of the synthesis model with a riverine logistic support ship is provided.

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.

Risk assessment of hazardous materials transportation: A review of research progress in the last thirty years

In recent years, hazardous materials transportation accidents occur frequently, causing huge casualties and property losses. Risk assessment of hazardous materials transportation has been constantly investigated by researchers and decision-makers. In order to study the research progress of risk assessment of hazardous materials transportation, so as to better reveal relevant problems. This review systematically analyzes the existing literature, from 1991 to 2020, on risk assessment models and methods of hazardous materials transportation, and segregates the relevant studies based on unimodal and intermodal transportation systems. Additionally, an example is considered to analyze the characteristics of each risk assessment model of unimodal transportation, and a novel detailed classification is proposed for the risk assessment problems. The results indicate that the research on the risk assessment model of road transportation of hazardous materials is comprehensive, whereas that based on the railway and intermodal transportations is deficient. In comparison with the traditional risk assessment model, the conditional value-at-risk model presents a flexible decision-making framework for decision-makers and controls risk preference between risk neutrality and risk aversion. Owing to the difficulty in achieving door-to-door railway transportation and the increased risks associated with the intermodal transportation, the conclusion that the risk of railway and multimodal transportation of hazardous materials is lower than that of road transportation is not universal. Transport operators and governments can combine the advantages of different transportation modes, such as low risk, low cost, high flexibility, and high reliability, to achieve public safety and improve the competence of the system. Based on the proposed classification, this review identifies the existing trends and research gaps and summarizes future research directions. • Development process of risk assessment models is summarized. • Advantages and disadvantages of various transportation modes are outlined. • Characteristics of the unimodal transportation risk assessment model are analyzed using an example. • New classification for unimodal transportation is proposed.

Exploring Physical and Non-physical Infrastructure of Bus Rapid Transit and its Connectivity to Intermodal Transport Modes in Semarang

Background: The modern service of public transport system in a developing country is still in the stage of embryo compared to other big cities in the world. Providing reliable and affordable intermodal transportation is a major challenge in Indonesia, particularly in a growing city such as Semarang. The higher volume of traffics in this city leads to critical congestion due to the imbalance between transport infrastructures, mobility management, and travel behaviour. The concept of Bus Rapid Transit was adopted as a transport policy, and it was introduced in Semarang reduce congestion and car dependency as well as to enhance integration of intermodal transport modes. However, there is still a lack of transport infrastructure to support connectivity and integration between Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and intermodal transportation modes that might influence the willingness to use public transport. Objective: The study aims to explore the physical and non-physical facilities to connect between Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) with intermodal transportation modes in Semarang. Methods: The research using qualitative method combined with four approaches such as quantitative, phenomenological, literature, and study-case based approaches. Results: The research reveals that the intermodal transportation system which employs integration of modes (airport, port, and railway station) improves the efficiency of travel and bus transit experience. Both physical and non-physical public transport amenities are still underrated and there is a need for improvements to make it more reliable, attractive, and easier for transport users (students and non-students). Moreover, the number of transport users dropped dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the lack of public transport infrastructure and amenities results in an inconvenient experience of travel and a decline in the number of bus ridership. Conclusion: The local government should creatively improve the physical and non-physical facilities to support Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) services and its connectivity to intermodal transport modes in intercity passengers’ terminals (airport, port and railway stations) in terms of sidewalks, amenities, payment methods, and information system.

Assessing the impact of the Boankra inland container terminal on the operational performance of the seaports of Ghana

PurposeTraffic congestion and limited cargo space have for a long time been a herculean challenge hindering the smooth operation of most seaports globally due to an increase in container trade. To provide a lasting solution to these challenges, most contemporary seaports have adopted the strategy of developing inland container terminals to help manage their cargo influx. This study assesses the impact of the Boankra inland container terminal on the operational performance of the seaports of Ghana, taking into consideration the operational performance variables affecting seaport and inland container terminal operations. Methodology/design/approachThe primary data used in this study was gathered using structured questionnaires. A total of 245 responses representing the opinion poll of the key architects involved in container movement to and from the seaports of Ghana was received. The dataset of the study and hypotheses of the model was tested using partial least square structural equation modelling to obtain the model fit. FindingsThe findings of the study suggest that value-added services, location, government policies, intermodal transport system, and capacity of inland container terminal have a direct significant influence on the: output of seaport, the productivity of seaport, utilization of resources, and quality of services offered by a seaport. The findings further reveal that the intermodal transport system of an inland container terminal has no direct significant influence on the output of seaport and utilization of seaport resources even though it might have an indirect significant influence on these variables. OriginalityThe study provides a very insightful and thought-provoking theoretical knowledge on the direct significant relationship between an inland container terminal and its seaports. It also explains how an inland container terminal directly influences the operational performance of its seaports. The study further serves as a guide to policymakers and port authorities on policy formulation towards inland container terminal development and its integration into seaport operations.

Factors influencing intermodal transport efficiency and sustainability

A dynamic development of intermodal transport is observed worldwide. This development, among other issues, is related to increasing the level of transport efficiency and sustainability. That increase presents a challenge for the participants of intermodal transport systems. Therefore, there is a need to analyze the factors influencing the efficiency and sustainability of intermodal transport. The article aims to analyze these factors considering the viewpoint of transport chains participants. Ten factors influencing intermodal transport efficiency and sustainability were identified. The case study of Polish market was analyzed using marketing research tool. The questionary was developed, and the survey was carried out among the representatives of intermodal terminals located at seaports, rail-road terminals and forwarders. On the basis of collected information, it was possible to set the ranking of the particular factors. It was stated that efficient handling of cargo and transport means in transshipment terminals forms the most important factor from the practitioners’ viewpoint.

The intermodal transport system as a factor of the national economy competitiveness in the world market

The article considers the essence of intermodal transportation, determines its main advantages for both parties of the cargo transportation process, and presents the composition of existing intermodal complexes as the main part of the functioning of the country’s transport system. The emphasis is made on the specifics of the modern customer-centered economy, which directly affects the organization of international transportation. In the paper, the author uses both qualitative and quantitative methods of analyzing research data provided by other authors as well as retrospective statistical data. A comparative analysis of the work of successful companies in the field of intermodal transport is made. The ways to increase the competitiveness of the Russian economy in the world market through the development of modern logistics schemes for the movement of goods are considered. The article describes the activities of domestic companies, their features, shortcomings and methods of work in the context of the globalization of the economy with a graphical interpretation of the models used by them. The practical recommendations to improve the functioning of the objects of research are given.

Planiranje i razvoj održivih logističkih sistema na makro nivou

The realization of a series of logistics activities, as support for goods flows, can result in serious negative consequences on sustainability if they are not planned properly. Road transportation's dominant role in existing logistics systems has serious unsustainable effects on the society and environment. The only way in achieving regional sustainability of logistics systems is in the utilization of alternative transportation modes through the application of intermodal transportation (IT). The planning of IT systems is a complex task that consists of determining the appropriate structure of the network, identification of efficient IT terminal types, their number, location, and role in the system, defining connections between terminals, etc. All that is preceded by the selection of the system development scenario. This article indicates the significance of IT in achieving sustainability at a macro-level. The Dry Port (DP) concept is highlighted as an instrument of achieving sustainable IT system development. Six potentially sustainable development directions of IT systems through the concept of DP are defined and explained.

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

Evaluation of operational performance as a means for deciding about intermodal passenger transport improvements in urban environments

Regarding intermodal urban transport systems for passengers, there is no recognized standard for performance analysis. Detecting the weaknesses of such systems can allow managers to carry out more assertive, corrective actions and make them more attractive to users. The main objective of this article is to propose a model for evaluating the performance of intermodal travel for passengers in urban environments. The exploratory factor analysis was the method used to evaluate and classify the variables that constitute the proposed standard. The results show that the factors related to travel time, infrastructure and available information are the most important characteristics for the interviewed public. The operational performance analysis carried out in the Metropolitan Region of Recife, state of Pernambuco, Brazil, reveals the difficulties faced by the citizens while making an intermodal trip, which may be contributing to a reduction in the number of users of the passenger transport system.

Analysis of Port Container Sea-Rail Intermodal Transportation System

With the continuous deepening of the China-Europe freight train, the interconnection of countries and regions along the “Belt and Road” has been accelerated, and railway transportation has become an important carrier and transportation backbone linking China-Europe road logistics, effectively promoting the new development of the geo-economics of China and Europe. The container sea-rail intermodal transportation system has developed rapidly. Based on the composition of the existing port container sea-rail intermodal transportation system, this paper use system analysis to describe its various subsystems, and analyzes the port container sea-rail intermodal transportation system composed of the external structure and the internal structure.

Freight flow optimization to evaluate the criticality of intermodal surface transportation system infrastructures

The concept of intermodality has been gaining importance in both freight and passenger transportation across the world. It is essential to identify critical intermodal infrastructures that will help stakeholders prioritize protection initiatives or add necessary redundancy to maximize intermodal network resiliency. In this paper, we identify the critical infrastructures of an integrated intermodal network. We present an optimization model that facilitates all OD-specific traffic flow with optimum cost, utilizing an integrated intermodal network consisting of three surface transportation modes: highway, railway, and waterway. The proposed model considers the congestion effects of each mode and intermodal transfer terminals, which may happen under heavy traffic congestion. We implement a real-world case study to show the critical infrastructures for a given intermodal network of the USA. An integrated way to utilize all surface transportation modes is expected to improve the overall freight flow significantly. Making quick and correct traffic management decisions is a big challenge in a damaged or highly congested transportation network. In addition to criticality analysis, the model will help traffic management decision-making in a disaster by rerouting the traffic in the residual network. The proposed model provides the optimal routing and rerouting paths for the overall freight flow during and after a disaster to enhance surface transportation resilience and security.

A Cooperative Intermodal Transportation Network Flow Control Method Based on Model Predictive Control

With the development of information technology, intermodal transport research pays more attention to dynamic optimization and multi-role cooperation. The core issue of this paper was to realize container routing with dynamic adjustment, real-time optimization, and multi-role cooperation characteristics in the intermodal transport network. This paper first introduces the Intermodal Transport Cooperation Protocol (ITCP) that describes the operation and analysis of intermodal transport systems with the concept of encapsulation and layering. Then, a new network flow control method was built based on Model Predictive Control (MPC) in the ITCP framework. The method takes real-time information from all ITCP layers as input and generates flow control decisions for containers. To evaluate the method’s effectiveness, a discrete event simulation experiment is applied. The results show that the proposed method outperforms the all-or-nothing method in scenarios with high freight volume, which means the method proposed in this paper can effectively balance the network transport load and reduce network operating costs. The research of this paper may throw some new light on intermodal transport research from the perspectives of digitization, multi-role cooperation, dynamic optimization, and system standardization.

A Sequential Optimization-Simulation Approach for Planning the Transition to the Low Carbon Freight System with Case Study in the North Island of New Zealand

Freight movement has always been, and always will be an essential activity. Freight transport is one of the most challenging sectors to transition to net-zero carbon. Traffic assignment, mode allocation, network planning, hub location, train scheduling and terminal design problem-solving have previously been used to address cost and operation efficiencies. In this study, the interdisciplinary transition innovation, management and engineering (InTIME) methodology was used for the conceptualization, redesign and redevelopment of the existing freight systems to achieve a downshift in fossil energy consumption. The fourth step of the InTIME methodology is the conceptualization of a long-term future intermodal transport system that can serve the current freight task. The novelty of our approach stands in considering the full range of freight supply chain factors as a whole, using an optimization-simulation approach as if we were designing the low-carbon system of 2121. For the optimization, ArcGIS software was used to set up a multimodal network model. Route and mode selection were delivered through the optimization of energy use within the network. Complementarily, Anylogic software was used to build a GIS-based discrete event simulation model and set up different experiments to enhance the solution offered by the network analysis. The results outline the resources needed (i.e., number of railway tracks, train speed, size of railyards, number of cranes and forklifts at terminals) to serve the freight task. The results can be backcast to reveal the most efficient investments in the near term. In the case of New Zealand’s North Island, the implementation of strategic terminals, with corresponding handling resources and railyards, could deliver 47% emissions reduction from the sector by 2030, ahead of longer lead-time upgrades like electrification of the railway infrastructure.

The Selection of Intermodal Transport System Scenarios in the Function of Southeastern Europe Regional Development

The development of intermodal transportation (IT) systems is of vital importance for the sustainability of logistics activities. The existing research point at individual directions of action for system improvement and increase of IT participation in overall transportation, thus reducing negative impacts of logistics on sustainability. However, there is a lack of research defining complex scenarios that unite existing ideas and concepts of IT system development and improvement. Accordingly, this article deals with the definition and selection of the most appropriate IT development scenario for the region of Southeastern Europe. Six different potential scenarios that differ in the network configuration, the required level of logistics infrastructure development, the role of different IT terminal categories, the involvement of different transportation modes, and goods flows’ transformation degree, are defined. The scenarios are analyzed according to four stakeholder groups and twelve defined criteria. A novel hybrid multi-criteria decision-making model, based on fuzzy Delphi, fuzzy Factor Relationship (FARE), and fuzzy Measurement of Alternatives and Ranking according to Compromise Solution (MARCOS) methods, is developed for solving the problem. The definition and analysis of the problem, the way of establishing the scenarios, as well as the development of a novel hybrid model are the main contributions of this article. A significant contribution is also the consideration of the Dry Port (DP) concept for the first time in the context of river ports. The results indicate that the scenario referring to the development of the IT core network with the Danube DP terminals is potentially the most appropriate scenario for the Southeastern Europe IT system.

An integrated fleet planning model with empty vehicle repositioning for an intermodal transportation system

Fleet planning problems in intermodal transportation represent one of the most important problems in logistics. In addition to the integration of various sub-problems interrelated at different planning levels, i.e., strategic, tactical, and operational, the inclusion of multiple modes, resources, and multiple actors in intermodal transportation systems makes fleet planning more complex in comparison with unimodal systems. The present paper proposes a holistic fleet planning approach, which integrates various decisions such as freight planning (transport mode, service type and route selection), fleet composition and allocation, empty vehicle repositions, fleet expansion/reduction and outsourcing. A comprehensive mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model is developed for an international logistics company, which operates a large intermodal network in Europe. The computational results of the case study have shown that application of a reallocation strategy may provide cost reduction up to 10% for the logistics company. Considering the existing situation of the company, outsourcing can be reduced up to 30%, and fleet utilization can be increased by 5% by applying the proposed model. The extensive case study also shows that effective and efficient fleet plans can be generated through the proposed MILP model.

Integration of Intermodal Transport Stations as a Tool for Urban Renewal in the City of Baghdad

The recent population growth, urban expansion, and high standard of living witnessed by most cities, including Baghdad, have made the provision of integrated urban transport systems a major challenge for those in the transport sector. To address the central issues related to urban renewal, growth and land use in cities, and the importance and impact of integrated intermodal transport systems on the design and urban renewal of cities, it is thus important to investigate the role of integrated stations in achieving the urban development and renewal of the city and to determine the most important comprehensive indicators in the field of integration of such systems in order to develop tools for urban renewal and growth.This paper offers an analytical and evaluation method to assess the potential for redevelopment of major intermodal transport stations and the opportunities for space and urban renewal that might follow such redevelopment. The methodology was implemented in the redevelopment of Berlin Central Station and the comprehensive plan for road transport for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi 2030, and may thus offer a basis for assessing and evaluating the city of Baghdad in terms of transport and developing future plans in this area. However, it required the development of correct scientific frameworks for the integration of multi-modal urban transport stations (systems) as development tools and attractions, and to have a positive impact for the city. This led to the research problem of investigating the “lack of sufficient perception of the impact of the complementarity of intermodal transport stations and their role as a tool in the urban renewal of the citybased on the assumption that integrated intermodal transport stations are large and multi-functional facilities, consisting of several integrated smaller systems, operating in a single overarching system such as a city at a scale that allows them to act as a tool in the process of urban renewal by promoting positive interaction with the surrounding environment.