Rail Modes Research Articles

Dynamic Multimodal Transport Systems with The Participation of Railway Transport: Work Management Technology

Abstract The purpose of the article is to analyze the technical implementation tools of integrated development of rail and sea transport systems in multimodal transportation in their modern conception. The authors of this article analyzed studies and practical approaches in the field of multimodal transportation with the participation of rail and other modes of transport. The authors suggested improving the organization of the movement of material flows in a multimodal transport system by developing models for organizing multimodal transportation based on the theory of inventory management, probabilities, and mass service. The article presents the results of the analysis and theoretical generalization of approaches to the formalization of the operation process of the dynamic multimodal transport systems with the participation of rail and sea transport.

Influence of a new rail transit line on travel behavior: Evidence from repeated cross-sectional surveys in Hong Kong

It has been well established that the infrastructural development for rail transit stimulates rail transit use. However, there is little agreement about the source of the increased rail transit use. Using data from two repeated cross-sectional surveys, we examine changes in individual travel behavior resulting from the introduction of a rail transit line in Hong Kong. To address some methodological limitations inherent to repeated cross-sectional research design (e.g., selection bias and longitudinal incomparability), a two-dimensional propensity score matching method (2DPSM) is adopted to pair samples between the treatment and control groups in both cross-sectional and longitudinal dimensions. Paired t-tests are used to compare the longitudinal changes in travel behavior between the treatment and control groups of the matched samples. To get a more comprehensive understanding of the net treatment effects of the new rail line on travel behavior, we examined its impacts on both home-based trips (trips originating or terminating at home) and all trips for both treatment and control group. For home-based trips, the opening of the new rail line increased the rail mode share by 10.4%, and rail trip number by 0.126 (in terms of net effect, i.e., difference in the change between treatment and control group). It reduced the bus mode share by 17.1% and bus trip number by 0.208, showing a significant bus-to-rail modal shift. For all trips, the new rail line increased rail mode share by 9.5% and total trip number by 0.189. It also decreased bus mode share by 13.2%, and bus trip number by 0.191. Hence, the source of the increased rail transit use came from both the modal shift from bus and the increased travel demand induced by the new transit infrastructure. For both home-based trip and all trips, there was no significant influence on car use and total trip distance. Our findings provide new evidence that the development of rail transit in a high-density urban setting encourages a modal shift from bus to rail transit and stimulates flexible travel behaviors, but fails to control private vehicle use.

ТРАНСПОРТ ВОСТОКА РОССИИ В УСЛОВИЯХ ГЕОПОЛИТИЧЕСКИХ И ГЕОЭКОНОМИЧЕСКИХ ИЗМЕНЕНИЙ

The dynamics of the indicators of the transport complex of the Far East is considered against the background of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic sanctions and changes in the foreign policy conditions of the modern period. General trends in the segment of passenger transportation are highlighted. In 2020, a decline in passenger traffic was recorded at a rate lower than the national average. The factors that determined the smaller scale of the decline in traffic in this segment are considered. The dynamics of the cargo work of the Far Eastern transport complex is presented, which contradicts the negative trends of general processes. It is shown that servicing transit-export cargo flows to Asian countries determined the growth of performance indicators in the cargo segment for the rail and sea modes of transport in the macroregion during the pandemic. The increase in the work of the transport complex of the Far East, associated with a change in the logistics schemes of foreign trade interactions under the influence of economic sanctions, is argued. Emerging problems are identified: imbalance in the capacity of modes of transport, lack of supply of infrastructure in relation to demand, increased risks of transport services for the regional economy. Directions for further research are formulated.

Developments and scope for the use of hydrogen in future combustion engines

With electrification still found wanting when it comes to heavier vehicles and modes of transportation, marine, rail and large commercial on- and off-highway applications are seen as the main applications where internal combustion engines (ICE) fed with non-fossil hydrocarbons and hydrogen (H2) can play an important role. Hydrogen IC engines can provide a durable, reliable, and cost-efficient solution based on well-known existing technology, contributing to a fast transition towards carbon-free mobility. The following view provides a summary of the main roles (and a few challenges) associated with H2ICE employment.

Multicriteria Feasibility Evaluation for Rural Transit in Georgia

This article describes transit feasibility analysis features of the Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT’s) Multimodal Transportation Planning Tool (MTPT). Using open databases that are available agencywide, the MTPT can provide a system-level analysis of transportation requirements of rural areas, identify potential implementation constraints early in the planning process, and develop a prioritized project list by mode for an analysis region. In addition to demand-responsive transit, the MTPT addresses intercity bus, intercity passenger rail, commuter rail, highways, aviation, and bicycle modes. This article focuses on the demand-responsive transit component of the MTPT, and provides an overview of how the MTPT can help automate system-level transit planning for the general public in rural Georgia.The MTPT transit analysis assesses service feasibility for nonurbanized areas that do not currently have local transit service for the general public. In the MTPT, transit service feasibility considers the existence of human service transit providers in the county; the percentage of population in certain “target” populations; and estimates of potential ridership, vehicle requirements, capital costs, operating costs, and economic benefits. The first factor indicates if opportunities may exist to coordinate service with existing providers, and helps to address funding issues. The second factor assesses market characteristics of the target area as one determinant of potential service need. The third factor provides a range of potential values for key operating and financial statistics at a system-planning level of analysis. The intent of the analysis is to identify those locations where it makes sense to more seriously analyze new demand-responsive services.This article should be helpful for transportation planners with responsibility for developing system-level transportation plans and programs at the county, region, and state levels. It will also be helpful for decision-makers who are trying to match transit funding to areas with high service needs.

The Demand Performance of Bus Rapid Transit

This article uses a trip attribute approach to examine the relative passenger attractiveness of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems compared to other transit modes. It examines how passengers value trip attributes for on-street bus, BRT, and light rail and heavy rail systems in passenger behavior research. Empirical data is presented which suggests that passengers value trip attributes for BRT and rail modes in a broadly similar manner. All of these transit modes are favored relative to on-street bus. These findings suggest that BRT systems should be as effective as rail in generating patronage when developed to replace on-street bus services. This conclusion, in association with research demonstrating lower costs for BRT systems compared to rail, may be used to claim cost effectiveness advantages for BRT. However, a number of limitations in the evidence are identified and additional research suggested. Conclusions of the research are also used to suggest ways to improve BRT system design to enhance demand performance.

Modeling Access Mode Choice for Inter-Suburban Commuter Rail

This paper presents an analysis of access mode choice by riders of one of the first U.S. suburb-to-suburb commuter railroads, the Westside Express (WES), in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. The study uses on-board survey data collected by the region’s transit agency, Tri-Met, during WES’s first year of operation. The data include observed access mode choices, historical mode usage, and subjective assessment of WES attributes. A hierarchical choice model was estimated, using attributes of the access trip, station areas and rider characteristics. The estimation results revealed pre-WES-mode inertia effects in choosing drive access, pro-sustainability attitudes in choosing bike access, the importance of comfort to light rail and auto users, and strongly positive station-area effects of feeder bus lines and parking provision. The hierarchical choice model revealed significant substitution effects between drive and light rail modes and between bike and walk modes. This study provides potentially valuable insights to agencies for the purposes of station-area planning and targeted marketing efforts.

A Synthesis of Mobile Ticketing Applications Used by Commuter Railroads in the United States

Since 2012, many major commuter railroads have deployed mobile ticketing applications (or “apps”) that allow passengers to pay fares directly using their smartphones. In light of this rapid technological change, this research aims to provide a synthesis of the current state of mobile ticketing in the United States. The 14 largest commuter railroads that have launched mobile ticketing apps are compared in four different areas: (1) the ticket validation process; (2) ticket types offered in the mobile app; (3) additional features in the app; and (4) the process for transferring to other modes using the app. The results reveal that all mobile ticketing applications considered in this analysis utilize visual inspection for validation, and that most of them also use quick response (QR) barcodes to validate tickets. Additionally, many of the commuter rail operators examined offer the majority of the ticket types available via traditional fare media in their mobile ticketing apps. The third dimension revealed a large degree of variation in the availability of additional travel-related features, such as trip planners and schedules, in mobile ticketing apps. Last, only a handful of commuter rail operators have fully integrated transfer policies between commuter rail and other nearby transit modes using mobile ticketing, which is an area that warrants further study. These findings are important for other commuter rail and transit operators that are considering deployment of mobile ticketing systems.

FEASIBILITY STUDY OF MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION OF CASSAVA PRODUCTS IN THAILAND: SYSTEM DYNAMICS MODELING

Thailand is one of the world’s top export countries, sharing 72% of the global shipment, mainly in the agricultural and industrial products. Being a major logistics hub in ASEAN, Thai government has initiated several projects to support the transportation of people and goods. Road transportation is a major mode of goods transportation in Thailand. However, it incurs the highest logistics cost compared with water and rail modes. The use of multimode transportation is, therefore, considered to lower the logistics cost and reduce the environmental problems. This study examines the feasibility of multimodal transportation of cassava products in the long-term utilizing the system dynamics modeling approach. Six saving elements, including 1) saving in labor cost, 2) saving in fuel cost, 3) saving in carbon dioxide tax, 4) saving in truck rental cost, 5) saving in reimbursement cost, and 6) saving in accident cost, and four cost elements, including 1) handling cost, 2) tariff cost, 3) product return cost, and 4) product damaged cost, are considered in the dynamics model. The simulation results reveal that at the initial years, the net cash flow is negative due to high investments in double track system. Once the project continues, the savings increase. It is found that the project is feasible when it is continued for 10 years at the internal rate of return of 13.69%. The sensitivity analysis results also show that the saving in truck rental cost and the product damaged cost are two key elements in the multimodal transportation, as they highly affect the internal rate of return of the project. The developed dynamics model of multimodal transportation of cassava products can be used as a guideline for transportation companies and government to plan for their multimodal transportation to reduce logistic costs and achieve benefits in the long term.

Adopting a Bi-level Optimization Method for the Freight Transportation Problem: A Multi-objective Programming Approach

Nowadays, various companies find it a crucial task to elevate their distribution system efficiency to survive in what is an intensely competitive environment. Freight transportation via road systems may not always be a practical option for the shipper because of financial, social, and environmental aspects. So, in addition to the road system, the shipper can benefit greatly from the rail system. Thus, taking advantage of different transportation modes can help shippers to tackle, to some extent, arising issues. In this paper, we aim at investigating a freight transportation network including rail and road transportation modes in which the shipper’s choice affects the decisions deeply. Given that this problem as a bi-level programming model, the rail operator acts as a leader and the shipper is treated as a follower. Once the rail operator reveals the rail transportation price, an appropriate response is received from the shipper and this pattern is repeated until an equilibrium is achieved. From the sustainability view, a multi-objective mixed-integer programming model is developed to simulate their interactions considering a sustainable triple bottom line. Employing the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker approach, we converted the formulated bi-level programming model into a single one. Several numerical examples are investigated to evaluate the validity of the developed model and approaches. Different in-depth sensitivity analyses are carried out and the impacts of several factors, such as line and train capacity, on the rail operator and shipper’s decisions are investigated. The results reveal that the rail operator could increase their market share by a wise long-term investment in the rail infrastructure.

Trusting the power: Facilitating a modal shift in relationships between shippers and logistics service providers

Shifting freight transport from roads to more energy-efficient modes of sea and rail, i.e., a modal shift, is essential to reducing emissions from transport. Two actors influencing the rate of transition to such modes are logistics service providers (LSPs) and shippers. In their relationships, power and trust are vital interorganisational factors that need to be managed. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the existence and use of power and trust and their interplay can facilitate a modal shift in the ongoing relationships between shippers and LSPs. The research is based on an in-depth qualitative case-study of two cases, each consisting of the relationship between a retailer and an LSP. Empirical data was collected through semi-structured interviews, and the analysis was guided by three dimensions of power (resources, processes and meaning) and three types of trust (contractual, competence and goodwill). The results show that power and trust do, indeed, exist and influence modal shift solutions in shipper–LSP relationships. Alignment between shippers and LSPs is found to be vital in terms of the perceptions and values needed to strengthen the power of meaning, and in terms of the processes and participation needed to strengthen the power of processes. Trust is a facilitating factor in both instances, and it also works as a mediating factor in any asymmetry between the power of shippers' resources and LSPs.

Methodological shortcuts in intermodal freight transport: Critical review and proposals

Freight traffic forecasts face many obstacles in assessing the effectiveness of a transport policy. Traffic data are not available, costs are unknown, and total cost is often used as a benchmark. Many assumptions are therefore needed to overcome these difficulties. We examine a specific example proposed by the University of Antwerp: combining traffic from the ports of Dunkirk and Zeebrugge to Dusseldorf. It would promote the use of intermodal transport, exploit the economies of scale of the rail mode to extend the hinterland of the ports and reduce transport nuisances. We show how the assumptions lead to a questionable result by overestimating traffic and underestimating intermodal costs. We propose some improvements to better establish the costs and identify the conditions that would allow the intermodal solution to prevail. We also show that the total cost masks the unequal distribution of the collective benefit: some actors gain and others lose.

‘It’s a man’s world’: a gender-equitable scoping review of gender, transportation, and work

The deeply embedded inequalities in gender which mark most contemporary societies have led to a world shaped by male perspectives. This world fails to accommodate adequately the needs and experiences of women: no more evident than in the transport sector, where a ‘default male’ perspective dominates the planning and policies that shape our roads, railways, airlines, and shipping. This paper argues that the ways in which masculinity infuses transport systems mean they are integral to debates on gender and work. They impact both the way women experience travel and their access to places of work. A multi-transport domain scoping study has been conducted to review the literature for key gender factors that influence the use of road, rail, aviation, and maritime transport modes. A multi-disciplinary approach is proposed which incorporates perspectives and methods from the social sciences that can help to foster Gender-Equitable Human Factors (GE-HF). Practitioner summary: This paper seeks to identify the gender issues related to transport and work. A scoping review provides key factors that detail how women are disadvantaged by current transport systems. It presents gaps in knowledge that future research needs to fill. Women must be included in key decisions within the transport sector.

Transport service selection and routing with carbon emissions and inventory costs consideration in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) entails investments to improve overland (rail) transport between Europe and China. This paper introduces a microscopic Multi-Commodity Flow Service Selection Problem for freight transport under the BRI and provides a decision tool for shippers to make door-to-door service plans. The minimizing objective function considers transportation costs, in-transit inventory costs, and carbon emissions. A series of sampled data of each provincial region of China are collected from Chinese multimodal transport operators. Results show that inland regions are strongly attracted to the rail mode for shipments to Europe. However, the “last mile” (including “first mile”) transport from the shipper to the long-haul transport terminal strongly influences this choice, and carbon emissions are strongly influenced by the available last mile transport links. Under the dual impact of in-transit inventory and carbon emission costs, regions that prefer rail to maritime are much further east than suggested by previous literature.

Intermodal transportation in humanitarian logistics with an application to a Turkish network using retrospective analysis

In the event of disruptions in a transportation network following a disaster, humanitarian organizations find it challenging to provide basic requirements for beneficiaries. Demand may be met using intermodal transportation as an alternative when the unimodal transportation infrastructure is damaged. This study proposes a mathematical model for utilizing intermodal transportation using 40 ft standard containers while delivering relief supplies by road, rail, and sea modes. The proposed model is a capacitated multi-period multicommodity intermodal network flow model in which relief supplies are delivered to beneficiaries in three echelons (i.e., supply, intermodal hub, and demand). The Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency's container warehouses (i.e., supply), logistics centers and container ports (i.e., intermodal hubs) are utilized to test the mathematical model with real-life demand parameters. Retrospective analysis was performed to determine the most frequently used container warehouses, logistics centers, and origin-destination pairs. Hence, an increase in operational capacity and infrastructure reinforcement is recommended to mitigate the effects of future disasters. We found that intermodal transportation is more robust to network disruptions in rapidly delivering relief supplies. We observed that intermodal transportation is utilized in disasters with more than 50,000 beneficiaries or disrupted unimodal infrastructure. For instance, after the future Istanbul earthquake, it would be impossible to deliver the relief materials only by road transportation within the urgent response period. Thus, the benefits of intermodal transportation in humanitarian logistics are more visible in large-scale disasters in which transportation resources are scarce, and transportation infrastructure is more likely to be destroyed.

Identification of Vibration Modes and Wave Propagation of Operational Rails by Multipoint Hammering and Reciprocity Theorem.

Vertical bending vibration modes and rail wave propagation, including the damping characteristics, are the factors that cause rail corrugation. However, the ability to identify actual railways has been limited because of the huge number of sensors required for field tests. In this study, a novel and field-applicable method for identifying rail vibration modes and wave propagation characteristics is developed by multipoint hammering and the reciprocity theorem instead of multipoint measuring. Additionally, the proposed method is applied to an actual rail with a direct fastening track system on a bridge that has corrugation with a wavelength of approximately 0.04 m. As a result, the wavelength (wavenumber)-, group velocity-, and distance damping (attenuation) frequency relationship of the wave propagation is clarified in addition to the rail frequencies and mode shapes up to approximately 1500 Hz, including the pinned-pinned mode. Finally, the identified wavelength-frequency relationships and the measured rail irregularity can empirically demonstrate that the generated corrugation on the rail is produced by wave interference on the two axles in the bogie.

Improving the technology of product supply chain management in the context of the development of multimodal transportation systems in the European union countries

The relevance of the study is caused by the growing role of multimodal transportation in Ukraine and the European Union, ensures the optimization of the goods supply chain management to the consignee, and an important element of this development is the significant role of rail transport in the multimodal transportation, which is relevant towards minimization of costs and preserving the environment. The purpose of the article is to develop measures to improve the designing processes of the multimodal route parts for grain supply chains through the using of network systems and minimizing the total transportation cost. Taking into account the specifics of the functioning and management of multimodal transportation, an approach to the integrated assessment of the effect from the transport enterprises activities in multimodal transportation based on the building of network models of each part of the multimodal route is offered. The article presents the results of the analysis and theoretical generalization of approaches to formalizing the process of functioning the multimodal transportation systems for goods supply chains with rail and road modes of transport. The materials of the article are of practical value for vocational and industrial training of logistics operators, transport companies’ staff, and scientific and pedagogical personnel in order to improve their professional competencies.

Justification of the Effectiveness of the Choice of the Method of Delivery of MSW by Rail and Road Modes of Transport

The authors in the presented article consider various types of transportation of MSW (solid municipal waste) from the Moscow region of the Russian Federation by different modes of transport, using different types of railway rolling stock. Calculations of technical indicators of the transportation process are presented. The article analyzes the data obtained by calculation. The authors substantiate the most rational option in technical, technological, operational, economic and environmental format for choosing railway rolling stock for the transportation of MSW and KGM (large-sized garbage) within the country.

Optimization of the costs of a transport company in the implementation of multimodal transport

Reducing the costs of the transport company is one of the key issues in the management of the organization. There are standard ways to reduce the costs of transport companies, the article proposes options for reducing costs through the interaction of several modes of transport, namely, rail and road. The article discusses options for the transportation of goods by a trucking company. For the purpose of reducing operating costs, it is proposed to combine the use of road and rail transport on certain sections of the route of routes of various lengths. The authors made a conclusion about the dependence of the operating costs on the distance when using the above types of transport.

Factor analysis of cargo river transportation recovery on the Unified deep-water system of Russia

In the second half of the XX century, Russian river transport was actively developing, and by 1990 the volume of cargo transportation reached 580 million tons. Now in the 20s of the XXI century, the volume of river traffic has decreased almost fivefold. There has been a redistribution of transportation between modes of transport: the shares of rail and river modes of transport have decreased, the shares of road and pipeline have increased. From the point of view of public interests, the existing distribution of traffic between modes of transport is not rational. The volume of production in the economy of the Russian Federation has fully recovered, but the growth of river traffic does not occur due to the redistribution of traffic between other modes of transport. The article discusses the reasons for a significant decrease in the share of river transport in the total volume of transport services and suggests measures to restore the position of inland waterway transport.