FREIGHT MODE CHOICE ANALYSIS: THE CASE OF ROAD AND RAIL TRANSPORTATION IN MYANMAR

Freight transport is considered as essential for being a major industry in itself as well as an integral part of every sector of the economy. Considering its critical role in economy, it is essential to understand the nature of freight transport systems and how the goods are distributed and processed depending on industrial conditions. Understanding mode choice is at the heart of freight transportation planning. Irrespective of this, freight mode choice and freight transport systems has been untouched and ignored in Myanmar. With the projected growing economic activities and reforms, it is highly essential to study mode choice behaviour. Literature review also highlights that mode choice are different from one context to another. Noting this, transport geography of Myanmar is first reviewed. After that, the general characteristics of freight users are examined focusing on their attitudes and satisfaction towards the current road and rail system. Then mode choice behaviour of road and rail transport are analysed estimating the parameters for the attributes utilizing binary logit models for certain commodities based on the Stated Preference Survey. Elasticities are also derived from the successful estimated disaggregate models to understand the sensitivity of the changes in those attributes. Then the policy analysis in Myanmar context is conducted. Finally, contributions and future directions of this thesis are presentedCONTENTS LIST OF TABLES iii LIST OF FIGURES v CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background and Motivation for the Research 1 1.2 Objectives 3 1.3 Methodology 4 1.4 Content 5 CHAPTER 2: FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION IN MYANMAR 7 2.1 Introduction 7 2.2 Transport Geography of Myanmar 7 2.2.1. Transport Networks 7 2.3 The Supply of Freight Transport 10 2.3.1. Road Transport 10 2.3.2. Rail Transport 19 2.4 The Demand for Freight Transport 21 2.4.1. Traffic trend 21 2.4.2. Freight Composition and Distribution 22 2.4.3. Commodity Transported in Road and Rail 26 2.5 Conclusion 28 CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEW 30 3.1 Introduction 30 3.2 Modeling Freight Transport Demand 30 3.2.1. Aggregate and Disaggregate Models 31 3.2.2. Revealed and Stated Preference 32 3.3 Literature Review of Elements Affecting Mode Choice 34 3.4 Literature on mode choice using revealed and stated preference (SP) 37 3.5 Conclusion 40 CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH STRATEGY AND METHODS 43 4.1 Introduction 43 4.2 Approach to the Study 43 4.3 Methodology 46 4.3.1. Discrete Choice Method 46 4.3.2. Random Utility Model (Logit Model) 47 4.3.3. Designing Stated Choice Experiments 49 CHAPTER 5: FREIGHT TRANSPORT USAGE AND TRANSPORT USERS’ PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS THE NATURE OF TRANSPORT CHARACTERISTICS IN MYANMAR 59 5.1 Introduction 59 5.2 Sample and Method 59 5.2.1. Questionnaire Design 59 5.3 Research Findings 60 5.4 Transport usage 64 5.4.1. Attitudes towards Transport Modes 67 5.5 Conclusion 72 CHAPTER 6: MODELING MODAL CHOICE USING STATED CHOICE 73 6.1 Introduction 73 6.2 Estimation and Results 73 6.2.1. Development of the questionnaire, presenting and data collection 73 6.3 Policy Analysis 86 6.3.1. Policy Development in Myanmar Context 86 6.3.2. Sensitivity Analysis 91 6.4 Summary and Implications 94 CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSIONS AND DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH 98 7.1 Introduction 98 7.2 Contributions of the Research 98 7.2.1. Transport Geography of Myanmar 98 7.2.2. Literature and Methodological Review 98 7.2.3. Freight Transport Usage and Perceptions towards Transport Modes in Myanmar 99 7.2.4. Stated Preference Modelling and Analysis Results 100 7.2.5. Directions for Further Studies 101 APPENDIX 1…. 103 BIBLIOGRAPHY 10

Minimodal: Dimensional Domain of Miniature Shipping Containers for Intermodal Freight Transportation

This study explores the feasibility of miniature shipping container usage within existing intermodal transportation (IT) supply chains. Smaller intermodal container shipments may help realign freight shipments with the most efficient transportation mode, rail. These containers embolden the dimensional domain (DD) of shipping. The shipping container dimensional domain (container size variation and modal fluidity) is widespread and results in shipments that are often larger or more infrequent than needed. The DD impacts: transport mode, shipping frequency, shipment velocity, intermodal supply chain accessibility, and regional shipping networks. This study suggests that container size impacts the DD and, therefore, mode choice. As miniature shipping containers may be used to delineate between large and one-off specialized shipments, inventories are leaned out and warehousing functions shift towards the supply chain. Several organizations may be affected such as ports, railroads, over-the-road and less-than-truckload trucking companies, shippers, buyers, and trans-loading facilities. Therefore, this paper will explore Minimodal’s (MM) integrational feasibility with an evaluation of rail efficiency over trucking efficiency, standard operating procedures, and the emboldening of the dimensional domain. Additionally, future research efforts may further examine the dimensional domain of shipping, and to what extent container size impacts mode choice. Keywords: Intermodal, intermodal transportation, miniature shipping container(s), Minimodal, dimensional domain of shipping, twenty-foot equivalent (TEU), velocity, container size optimization, trans-load(ing), feasibility, OTR and LTL trucking, lumpy shipments, transportation sharing

Minimodal: Dimensional Domain of Miniature Shipping Containers for Intermodal Freight Transportation

This study explores the feasibility of miniature shipping container usage within existing intermodal transportation (IT) supply chains. Smaller intermodal container shipments may help realign freight shipments with the most efficient transportation mode, rail. These containers embolden the dimensional domain (DD) of shipping. The shipping container dimensional domain (container size variation and modal fluidity) is widespread and results in shipments that are often larger or more infrequent than needed. The DD impacts transport mode, shipping frequency, shipment velocity, intermodal supply chain accessibility, and regional shipping networks. This study suggests that container size impacts the DD and, therefore, mode choice. As miniature shipping containers may be used to delineate between large and one-off specialized shipments, inventories are leaned out and warehousing functions shift towards the supply chain. Several organizations may be affected such as ports, railroads, over-the-road and less-than-truckload trucking companies, shippers, buyers, and trans-loading facilities. Therefore, this paper will explore Minimodal’s (MM) integrational feasibility with an evaluation of rail efficiency over trucking efficiency, standard operating procedures, and the emboldening of the dimensional domain. Additionally, future research efforts may further examine the dimensional domain of shipping and to what extent container size impacts mode choice

A State of the Art on Railway Simulation Modelling Software Packages and Their Application to Designing Baggage Transfer Services

There is a new baggage transfer service suggested in Newcastle Central Station. In order to prove that this service is feasible, a simulation model can be developed to test the concept and operating pattern behind. For the purposes of this paper, we intend to organize a literature review on simulation modelling software packages employed to study service design. Specifically, this paper has compared five different simulation software packages used by the railway industry to study service-related challenges. As a result, it is suggested that SIMUL8, a macroscopic discrete event-based software package, should be used among the five compared ones because of its simplicity and the ability to give practical results for the design and performance of such a baggage transfer system

Multi-objective Model on Connection Time Optimization in Sea-rail Intermodal Transport

Container sea-rail intermodal transport operation needs to consider some special demands both in volume and time connection. That means container sea-rail intermodal transport is a type of demand responsive transport between railroad trains and marine ships, vice versa. It needs to operate container trains according to the demands of ships in OD, volume, as well as the arrival and departure time. Basing on this responsive demand characteristic of sea-rail intermodal transport, the paper establishes a multi-objective optimal model for its connection time, aiming for maximizing the profits of carriers and minimizing the total transport costs of shippers, as well as minimizing the connection time between container trains and ships to optimizing the intermodal transport system. Modified genetic algorithm is adopted. The calculation results demonstrate that the model could be used to solve the connection problem of container sea-rail intermodal transport involved with volume and time connections