Waterway Network Research Articles

A Comparative Study on 2015 and 2023 Chennai Flooding: A Multifactorial Perspective

Floods are highly destructive natural disasters. Climate change and urbanization greatly impact their severity and frequency. Understanding flood causes in urban areas is essential due to significant economic and social impacts. Hydrological data and satellite imagery are critical for assessing and managing flood effects. This study uses satellite images, climate anomalies, reservoir data, and cyclonic activity to examine the 2015 and 2023 floods in Chennai, Kanchipuram, and Thiruvallur districts, Tamil Nadu. Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellite data were used to delineate flood extents, and this information was integrated with reservoir data to understand the hydrological dynamics of floods. The classification and regression tree (CART) model delineates flood zones in Chennai, Kanchipuram, and Thiruvallur during the flood years. The study region is highly susceptible to climatic events such as monsoons and cyclones, leading to recurrent flooding. The region’s reservoirs discharged floodwaters exceeding 35,000 cubic meters per second in 2015 and 15,000 cubic meters per second in 2023. Further, the study examines the roles of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), which reached its peak values of 0.33 and 3.96 (positive IOD), and El Niño in causing floods here. The complex network of waterways and large reservoirs poses challenges for flood management. This research offers valuable insights for improving the region’s flood preparedness, response strategies, and overall disaster management.

Economic consequences of inland waterway disruptions in the Upper Mississippi River region in a changing climate

Inland waterway locks have become significant bottlenecks in waterway networks worldwide due to the disruptions caused by aging infrastructure and climate change. While these locks have traditionally received attention for traffic issues, the disruptive impact on the regional economy remains unclear. This study addresses this knowledge gap by assessing the economic impacts of inland water transportation system failures, specifically focusing on disruptions in agricultural commodities within the Upper Mississippi River–Illinois River (UMR–IR) region. These disruptions encompass both unscheduled climate-induced extreme weather events and scheduled maintenance and repair work due to internal system failure. To capture the spatial interdependence between the regional economy and shipping rate changes caused by disruptions, we developed an integrated modeling approach. This approach combines spatial econometric modeling and multi-regional computable general equilibrium modeling techniques. Detailed weekly data from 2013 to 2021, including variations in inland barge rates and environmental conditions, were utilized. The assessment reveals that lock closure events in the UMR-IR region have severe economic consequences, impacting both the region itself and beyond. Conversely, transportation resilience achieved through modal substitution from barge to rail services during disruptive events can substantially reduce GDP losses. Specifically, such resilience measures can reduce GDP losses in the UMR-IR region by 6.6–24.2% and in the rest of the USA by 5.2–19.5%. Overall, these research findings carry significant implications for future planning and investment in inland waterway systems.

Apportioning sources of chemicals of emerging concern along an urban river with inverse modelling

Concentrations of chemicals in river water provide crucial information for assessing environmental exposure and risks from fertilisers, pesticides, heavy metals, illicit drugs, pathogens, pharmaceuticals, plastics and perfluorinated substances, among others. However, using concentrations measured along waterways (e.g., from grab samples) to identify sources of contaminants and understand their fate is complicated by mixing of chemicals downstream from diverse diffuse and point sources (e.g., agricultural runoff, wastewater treatment plants). To address this challenge, a novel inverse modelling approach is presented. Using waterway network topology, it quantifies locations and concentrations of contaminant sources upstream by inverting concentrations measured in water samples. It is computationally efficient and quantifies uncertainty. The approach is demonstrated for 13 contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in an urban stream, the R. Wandle (London, UK). Mixing (the forward problem) was assumed to be conservative, and the location of sources and their concentrations were treated as unknowns to be identified. Calculated CEC source concentrations, which ranged from below detection limit (a few ng/L) up to 1μg/L, were used to predict concentrations of chemicals downstream. Using this approach, >90% of data were predicted within observational uncertainty. Principal component analysis of calculated source concentrations revealed signatures of two distinct chemical sources. First, pharmaceuticals and insecticides were associated with a subcatchment containing a known point source of treated effluent from a wastewater treatment plant. Second, illicit drugs and salicylic acid were associated with multiple sources, interpreted as input from untreated sewage including Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), misconnections, runoff and direct disposal throughout the catchment. Finally, a simple algorithmic approach that incorporates network topology was developed to design sampling campaigns to improve resolution of source apportionment. Inverse modelling of contaminant measurements can provide objective means to apportion sources in waterways from spot samples in catchments on a large scale.

Sustainable urban logistics: A case study of waterway integration in Amsterdam

This paper tackles the growing challenges in urban logistics by presenting an optimal distribution network that integrates urban waterways and last-mile delivery, tailored for cities boasting extensive waterway networks. We examine Amsterdam's city center as a case study, prompted by the strain on quay walls, congestion, and emissions, urging a reevaluation of its urban logistics design. We formulate the problem as a two-echelon location routing problem with time windows and introduce a hybrid solution approach for effective resolution. Our algorithm consistently outperforms existing methods, with a superior solution quality, demonstrating its effectiveness across established and newly developed benchmark instances. In our case study, we evaluate the benefits of transitioning from a roadway-centric to a waterway-based system, showcasing significant cost savings (approximately 28 %), reductions in vehicle weight (approximately 43 %), and minimized travel distances (approximately 80 %) within the city center. The integration of electric vehicles enhances environmental sustainability, resulting in a total daily emission reduction of 43.46 kg. Our study underscores the untapped potential of inland waterways in easing urban logistics challenges. Inspired by Amsterdam's experience, global cities can adopt innovative approaches for sustainable logistics, providing valuable insights for managers striving to enhance efficiency, cut costs, and promote sustainable transportation practices.

GIS를 이용한 옥천 이성산성의 기능과 역할 재구성

It is estimated that Yiseong Fortress was renovated along with Samnyeon Fortress. Gulsan Fortress has been discussed as an important strategic point for Silla in the west region of the Sobaeksan Mountain during the battle of the Three Kingdoms. In particular, the article on the renovation of Gulsan Fortress in the Samguksagi is mentioned as an important historical event that can examine Silla's strategy for external expansion, provinces governance, and depense system in the surrounding area. Specifically, it is believed that Yiseong Fortress served as an administrative and military base for Silla as well as a military base. In this paper, the status of Yiseong Fortress was examined using the spatial analysis method of GIS. First, in relation to the characteristics of the administrative ruling place, Yiseong Fortress had accessibility and control in terms of topography and geography. Yiseong Fortress was located in a low hill, so it was relatively easy to access compared to the mountain fortresses of the highlands. This means that it is equipped with conditions to more efficiently control the surrounding human and economic resources. In addition, it was found that effective control of the local people and the agricultural production infrastructure was also possible through the analysis of the relationship between the provinces and settlements. Yiseong Fortress was the only one located in Okcheon and Boeun in a nodule where land and waterways intersect. As a result of a proximity analysis of the fortresses around Chupungryeong-ro, which Silla used as an diplomatic expansion route, it was confirmed that Yiseong Fortress was recently in close proximity. This is consistent with the historical fact that Silla pioneered the arterial road network, completing the local organizational system around the Hub Fortress, and reorganizing the government ruling system. In addition, Yiseong Fortress also had the advantage of using the waterway network that was operated upstream of the Geumgang River. In other words, Yiseong Fortress would have played a role in securing or supplying goods secured in Boeun or Cheongsan through waterways as the center of the amphibious transportation network. Yiseong Fortress was included in the fortress group in the Okcheon area, which was at the forefront of confrontation with Baekje. This can be assumed as a regional government-level system, and the spatial status of Yiseong Fortress was examined through network analysis. As a result of the analysis, Yiseong Fortress advantageous in securing power and influence in the network composed of fortresses, and occupied a position to exert a strong ripple effect using his power as well as his role as an intermediary. This spatial status of the Okcheon Yiseong Fortress is considered to have served as the background for the renovation of Gulsan Fortress during the period between Soji-maripgan.

Coordination and Optimization Control Framework for Vessels Platooning in Inland Waterborne Transportation System

Vessels sailing in a single platoon could reduce resistance from the perspective of the whole platoon and the individual vessel, and contribute to improving energy benefits. Moreover, transportation energy costs and traffic efficiency are essential indicators for measuring waterborne transportation systems. We attempt to minimize transportation energy costs by coordinating platoon formation using a distributed framework of controllers. A large-scale coordinated vessel platooning program is proposed to minimize transportation energy costs and optimize traffic efficiency while guaranteeing safety. The control framework covers routing, energy consumption-dependent cooperative platooning decision and speed optimization based on graph search algorithm, cluster analysis, optimal control approach and model predictive control. Firstly, a local scheduling strategy combined with the leader vessel selection algorithm is adopted. Furthermore, we used cluster analysis to create a series of mergeable vessel platooning sets. Then, we used the mathematical planning method and a two-step hybrid optimal control approach to calculate the improvement and optimization of each vessel platoon’s path and speed. Finally, the scalability of the scheduling strategy is elucidated. In a simulation of large scale inland waterborne network, savings surpassed 3.5% when six hundreds vessels participated in the system. These simulation results reveal that the scheduling strategy coordinating vessels into vessel platooning, which improves transportation efficiency as well as descends cost, comparing to a fixed origin route in the waterway network.

Mode choice support through an integrated Delphi-fuzzy logic model

This paper proposes a fuzzy logic mode choice model combined with a Delphi method to extract inference rules, representing the evaluation processes performed by experts. The model covers railway, road, and inland waterway networks and can handle imprecise information about the level of input variables. This fuzziness arises from the attitude and perception of decision-makers and subjective uncertainties. It extends existing models beyond optimisation and includes influential and interrelated input variables. The Rotterdam-Venlo multi-modal freight corridor in the Netherlands is selected as a case study to demonstrate the model's applicability. The model can be used to assist freight forwarders in understanding possible mode choice directions under a certain scenario, support policymakers in testing the effectiveness of designed or implemented policies (e.g. emission reduction), and give insights to infrastructure managers about performance developments by tracing possible effects of planned investments on the mode choice and possible demand shifts.

A Global Analysis of Emissions, Decarbonization, and Alternative Fuels in Inland Navigation—A Systematic Literature Review

In response to the pressing need for transportation decarbonization, this paper examines the often overlooked domain of inland waterway transport and seeks to answer which alternative fuel or power source is the most promising for that sector. As the shipping industry significantly contributes to global carbon emissions, it has been shifting towards alternative fuels and decarbonization measures in the effort to reduce them, whereas the inland waterways, operating predominantly on diesel engines, have not achieved equivalent substantial progress. Employing a systematic literature review and regional analysis, this study identifies notable trends. LNG initially emerged as a favored alternative fuel, but recent studies emphasize a shift towards “greener” solutions like batteries and hydrogen. Europe and Asia lead in these developments. This investigation uncovers critical gaps in research and development, particularly in the Northern European countries that have extensive inland waterway networks. It also calls for future studies to explore the performance of vessels that have adopted LNG compared to other emerging alternatives and emphasizes the importance of considering the time lag between technology development and research publication.

The Chinese city in mountain and water: shaping the urban landscape in Chengdu

Although natural features like mountains and rivers are widely recognised as key factors in developing ancient Chinese urban strategies, their active role in orderly-planned cities on vast plains has rarely been thoroughly examined. Further insight into this topic is critical to comprehending the formation of Chinese mountain-water-city imagery and its physical manifestation. Chengdu, an ancient plain-dwelling city encircled by mountains and rivers from afar, is an ideal example of this inquiry. This article explores the two-millennium history of how the city responded to its natural surroundings and incorporated the landscape imagery into the architectural and urban forms, which includes the alignment of the city’s orientation with distant and neighbouring mountains, the construction of waterway networks to emulate surrounding rivers, and the strategic placement of tower-pavilion architecture to integrate with the nature. Revealing the diversity and complexity of Chengdu’s urban-landscape experiences can enrich the intellectual framework of the Chinese mountain-water-city ideal.

Exploring functional flow heterogeneity in regulated flow regime: Fish species turnover along hydraulic gradients in an artificial waterway network

AbstractHumans have altered river flows leading to a loss of connection with floodplain habitats. The expansion of agriculture in floodplains has resulted in landscapes dominated by irrigated farmland. A key challenge in water management is to conserve existing ecological communities and habitat heterogeneity, while simultaneously maintaining engineered infrastructure for agriculture. In this study, we focused on an artificial channel network for irrigation with a regulated flow regime and its function as habitat for various fish species. Differences in hydraulic conditions among channels and compositional changes in fish species were examined to clarify functional flow heterogeneity. Analyzed using pairwise Simpson dissimilarity among sampling reaches, species turnover was positively associated with Froude number (flow intensity) differences at intermediate discharges, and with differences in cross‐sectional areas (flow magnitude) at low discharges. Drastic changes in inflows should be considered for the effective conservation of flow heterogeneity, even under a regulated flow regime. Improved engineering design to manage the hydraulic environment is one option for maintaining the ecological value of lateral waterbodies in human‐dominated landscapes. Our findings provide insights into the importance of functional flow heterogeneity to conserve fish species diversity.

Improving the resilience of the inland river transportation chain with flexible freight consolidation strategy under epidemic

The inland waterway transportation is generally recognized to be the environmentally friendly transportation mode. However, it is relatively weak resilience to the service disruptions. In the post-pandemic era, the regular epidemic prevention is still one of the main considerations for waterway transportation since it undertakes the vast majority of global trade and faces more risk of epidemic spreading. This paper considers a multi-modal transportation system consisted in road network and inland waterway network. The epidemics occur in one or several regions, which would increase the monetary and time cost in the transportation process. We propose the flexible freight consolidation strategy to guide the cargos to be concentrated among the ports via the multi-modal transportation system. The proposed strategy can be built a non-linear mathematical programming model, which can discretized to a 0–1 Knapsack problem by the finite element method and calculated with branch-and-bound algorithm. The Yangtze River Economic Belt is adopted to illustrate validity of the proposed strategy and algorithm.

Optimized Turning Basin Design for Inland Waterways

Concept design guidelines for ship turning basins are often not met in practice due to environmental, economic, or geotechnical restrictions. In these cases, a detailed design procedure is followed to develop an optimized turning basin geometry within the environmental constraints. Then, real-time ship maneuvering simulations are used to evaluate the maneuvers in the proposed geometry. However, such a detailed design procedure is costly, especially if a large number of simulations are required. To restrict the number of simulations, the waterway authority [Voies navigables de France (VNF)] ordered a study to find a generic and optimal design for a turning basin which could be suitable for the upgrade in the northern part of their inland waterway network. Therefore, the turning maneuvers for two typical inland navigation vessels were simulated in real time under different hydrometeorological conditions. This study was conducted in three stages. First, maneuvers in traditional circular and trapezoidal turning basins of different sizes were executed and analyzed. Second, optimized turning basin geometries were developed. Finally, the turning maneuvers in those optimized geometries were analyzed. Based on the results of this analysis, a stepwise approach was proposed to select an optimized turning basin geometry that was based on the conditions present on site. This stepwise approach for the design of turning basins could reduce the real-time simulations that are required when upgrading a waterway network.

Navigational safety at risk: The impact of sand Mining in a key waterway in China

AbstractThe Caowei River is an important part of the planned high‐grade waterway network in China. Since 2016, the deterioration in the navigation flow conditions of the Xiangshuikan reach has made traveling upstream through the waterway more difficult for ships and raised emerging navigation safety concerns. To better understand the causes of the deterioration in the waterway navigation conditions after 2016, we examined the topographic and hydrological changes of the Caowei River and investigated the navigable flow conditions of the Xiangshuikan reach. The results showed that the Caowei River has generally been scoured since 2006 due to sediment depletion and that the dramatic riverbed downcutting (15.47 m in the deepest cut of thalweg elevation) in the Xiangshuikan reach was likely caused by illegal sand mining which extracted the fine sand underlying the clay overburden in this segment and led to the formation of two extremely large steep headcuts. It was found that a large water surface gradient, rapid flow velocity, and disordered flow pattern occurred near the larger upstream headcut during the low‐water‐level period, which made ship navigation more challenging. In 2019, the measured maximum local water surface gradient and maximum flow velocity reached 3.97‰ and 3.28 m/s, respectively. Additionally, the increase in the low flow at Caowei station and the decrease in the low water level at Lujiao station further aggravated the navigation conditions of the Xiangshuikan reach. These findings reveal the considerable complexity of the response of the channel navigation flow conditions to the topographic and hydrological changes in the lake area, providing valuable information for channel regulation and river management in the Dongting Lake area and other rivers.

Infrastructure investment planning through scenario-based system-of-systems modelling

ABSTRACT The socioeconomic, technological, and environmental needs and developments call for effective infrastructure investment planning. Because infrastructures are interdependent, this requires the entanglement of their demand and performance development. We propose a scenario-based system-of-systems model to support strategic decision-makers in evaluating the effects of planned investments on transport infrastructure demand and performance under different plausible futures and identifying required investments across transport infrastructure sectors considering interdependencies. The model estimates freight and passenger demand and their consequent emission and energy performance for rail, road, and waterway networks. Through a case study, we show how the model can assist decision-makers in tracing the effects of silo-based planned investments on interconnected infrastructures. Moreover, the case demonstrates how possible investments can be detected to ensure desirable infrastructure performance. Finally, it presents how a better understanding can be created about the impacts of transport demand and energy transition policies on the performance of infrastructure system-of-systems.

Operational guidance for aeration and flow augmentation for the Chicago Area Waterway System—A case study

The Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) is a 133.9 km branching network of navigable waterways controlled by hydraulic structures, in which the majority of the flow is treated wastewater effluent and there are periods of substantial combined sewer overflows. The CAWS comprises a network of effluent dominated streams. More stringent dissolved oxygen (DO) standards and a reduced flow augmentation allowance have been recently applied to the CAWS. Therefore, a carefully calibrated and verified one-dimensional flow and water quality model was applied to the CAWS to determine emission-based real-time control guidelines for the operation of flow augmentation and aeration stations. The goal of these guidelines was to attain DO standards at least 95% of the time. The “optimal” guidelines were tested for representative normal, dry, and wet years. The finally proposed guidelines were found in the simulations to attain the 95% target for nearly all locations in the CAWS for the three test years. The developed operational guidelines have been applied since 2018 and have shown improved attainment of the DO standards throughout the CAWS while at the same time achieving similar energy use at the aeration stations on the Calumet River system, greatly lowered energy use on the Chicago River system, and greatly lowered discretionary diversion from Lake Michigan, meeting the recently enacted lower amount of allowed annual discretionary diversion. This case study indicates that emission-based real-time control developed from a well calibrated model holds potential to help many receiving water bodies achieve high attainment of water quality standards.

Port Competition through Hinterland Connectivity—A Case Study for Potential Hinterland Scope in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) Regarding an Environmental Policy Measure

Comparable port efficiency among ports of the European northern range leads to a competitive shift toward hinterland connectivity. North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), having a high population and industry density and an extensive road, rail and waterway network, is prone to such inter port competition due to its proximity. Using a simulation model, the potential hinterland scope by each port and mode in NRW is depicted and a sensitivity analysis with increasing carbon tax rates is conducted. With an increasing tax rate, the scope for central areas of NRW, prone to a shift to rail transport, expands and become heavily contested among multiple ports. A major profiteer of an increase is projected to be the Port of Rotterdam due to its good connectivity at the cost of Antwerp. The market share of German ports is likely to stay the same with a mode shift occurring. Policy measures like a carbon tax not only have an effect on environmentally friendly mode shift but can severely impact the competitive situation of infrastructure components. While achieving the primary goal of transport sustainability, national interests might mandate the economical existence of a functioning maritime port, which leads to the consideration of additional measures when increasing carbon tax rates.

Razvoj inicijative "Pojas i put" u Srbiji

The paper presents a general overview of the projects, observed according to the sectors of the Serbian economy, which were implemented in Serbia through the Belt and Road Initiative or are in the phase of implementation, planning or signed memoranda between China and Serbia. This initiative to strengthen trade, infrastructure and investment links between China and the countries of Asia, Africa and Europe, through a network of land and waterways, has affected the landscape of global trade, investment and financing, thereby expanding China's influence in the world. As a European country which is not a member of the European Union, Serbia found itself in a specific situation and was able to independently manage its relations with China and conclude contracts directly. In addition to the European Union as the main economic partner, Serbia is also turning to China, so this cooperation has a growing trend in the form of Chinese investments in Serbia, which are being investigated here, in contrast to the almost non-existent implementation of Serbian projects in China. Chinese companies in Serbia are actively building infrastructure, investing in the energy sector as well as the privatization and renewal of production of the former metallurgical giants of Serbia, and more. So, despite the large trade deficit with China, this initiative brings tangible economic and social benefits at the local level, creating new opportunities for employment and income generation in the community. That is why it can be said that the Belt and Road Initiative contributed to the development of cooperation between Serbia and China.

Elevating the logistics resilience of the Rhine-Alpine Corridor with the help of innovative vessel and cargo handling concepts

The Rhine-Alpine Corridor connects 70 million inhabitants and is home to Europe's biggest sea and inland ports and the Rhine as its most important waterway. Recent developments and events, such as the extreme low-water period in 2018 and the aggravating barge congestion in the seaports, have deteriorated the trust in the inland waterway network capacity of the Corridor. Hence, the availability and trustworthiness of IWT as a reliable transport mode is diminishing – possibly endangering the ambitious modal shift goals. In order to elevate logistics resilience, the challenges of low-water navigability and barge congestion are to be tackled with new solutions from naval architecture and marine engineering, i. e. innovative vessel concepts to ensure low-water navigability on the Rhine and a modular mobile terminal for additional transhipment capacity in the ports. The resulting concepts will be further examined regarding their operational verification and economic validation before being developed and deployed in their real settings.

State, competiiveness and prospects of supply chains development in Ukraine context of European integration asprations

The state and peculiarities of the operation of supply chains in Ukraine under the conditions of martial law are considered. The fundamental impact of the Russian Federation's war in Ukraine on the current state of the domestic logistics infrastructure and on the Logistics Performance Index (LPI), the value of which is significantly related to the global competitiveness of the country, is characterized. Based on the results of the research of colleagues from the National University "Lviv Polytechnic" called "Logistics landscape-2022+", in which the authors of this article took an expert part in July-August 2022, presents the author's vision of the key factors that have affected supply chains, their modern state and development, the main characteristics of the current state of supply chains and logistics infrastructure in Ukraine and events that have radically affected their current state over the past almost three years are given. The study of the military operations impacts in Ukraine on the domestic logistics industry and, accordingly, on the competitiveness of supply chains integrated with the international space is characterized. The authors have determined their own vision of priorities in the management of supply chains in modern conditions in Ukraine, based on seven characteristics (criteria) of the supply chain proposed in the study "Logistics landscape-2022+". The characteristics of supply chains that according to the authors received the first three advantages are: 1) safety, 2) reliability, 3) flexibility of supply chains. It is emphasized that the mechanisms, tools, methodology, technologies, strategies for managing supply chains in conditions of disruptions / restoration of logistics should be based on digitalization of management of logistics business processes. It is proposed to pay special attention to the introduction of a procedural approach to managing the competitiveness of the logistics business. Conceptually, three interrelated blocks of indicators are proposed, their systematic assessment will allow to monitor and control the progress of operational, management and supporting business processes in supply chains. In the context of Ukraine's European integration steps, the advantages and problematic issues of including Ukrainian logistics routes in the Trans-European Transport Network TEN-T (Trans-European Transport Network) - a network of highways, railways, airports and waterways in the European Union, are considered. The authors hypothetically expressed the opinion that there is a close relationship between the position of Ukraine in the World Competitiveness Ranking and the state of its logistics infrastructure, taking into account the fact that the determining factors of competitiveness according to the results of 2021 were: level of innovations, digitalization, supportive policies and social cohesion. The authors see a retrospective analysis of the cause-and-effect relationships of the pre-war state and functioning of the Ukrainian logistics industry and forecasting its development in the perspective of European integration in post-war times as directions for further research.

Increasing competitiveness of inland water transport in the Samara region passenger transport market

The role of inland water transport in the country's economy is determined by the special significance of the functions it performs. Despite the insufficient indicators of transport work, river transport plays an important role in providing for those regions of Russia where the density of railways and roads is low or overloaded, and the waterway network is developed. The study identified the main factors affecting the volume of inland waterway transport. The advantages of using water transport and the main problematic issues in its modern development are indicated. The types of river vessels used in passenger traffic in the Samara region, the state of the existing infrastructure and the degree of development of the route network are analyzed. The possibility of introducing new types of vessels is considered, proposals are made to adjust the existing schedule of movement. An economic assessment of the results of the production activities of the existing and proposed fleet of inland water transport has been carried out. An assessment was made of the prospects for the payback of the investment project for the renewal of the regional fleet of inland waterway transport vessels. The materials of this article can be used in the process of developing and implementing regional programs for the development of river transport, as well as in the educational process in educational institutions when training specialists for the transport complex.