Alternative transport network designs and their implications for intermodal transhipment technologies

Six principles for operation of the rail part of intermodal rail freight transport systems are described: direct link, corridor, hub-and-spoke, connected hubs, static routes, and dynamic routes. The first part is a theoretical discussion of the characteristics of the transport network designs. The theory is then applied to intermodal freight transport by analysing how each transport network design affects the need for terminal performance. The discussion includes a classification of existing transfer technologies and an analysis of how well developed technologies meet the demands. It is concluded that there is a sufficient supply of technologies, but some need to be taken further than the current blueprint phase and prove their viability in technical and economic terms

Sea Container Terminals

Due to a rapid growth in world trade and a huge increase in containerized goods, sea container terminals play a vital role in globe-spanning supply chains. Container terminals should be able to handle large ships, with large call sizes within the shortest time possible, and at competitive rates. In response, terminal operators, shipping liners, and port authorities are investing in new technologies to improve container handling infrastructure and operational efficiency. Container terminals face challenging research problems which have received much attention from the academic community. The focus of this paper is to highlight the recent developments in the container terminals, which can be categorized into three areas: (1) innovative container terminal technologies, (2) new OR directions and models for existing research areas, and (3) emerging areas in container terminal research. By choosing this focus, we complement existing reviews on container terminal operations

Strategies to increase port competitiveness

Improving the competitiveness of local businesses and their products within worldwide markets is a vital element for the long-term economic growth of a region. This paper presents a summary of ongoing research needs and outcomes formulated from a partnership between the University of Queensland and the Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd (PBPL), in order to facilitate international trade growth in Queensland and improve PBPL’s competitiveness. As part of this partnership with PBPL, we explore strategies to overcome inefficiencies in supply chain and infrastructure and discuss subsequent prospects for further investigation. The key goals of the partnership program for transport-related issues have been identified as: (i) providing a platform for freight actors trading through the port, in order to increase the performance of their logistics operations by adopting cooperative strategies; (ii) exploring modal shift opportunities to enhance the sustainability and the efficiency of the logistics operations of importers and exporters; (iii) facilitating improved inland supply chains for local export commodities through new trans-shipment points, back-loading opportunities, and logistics cost minimisation

A review of multi-objective optimization of container flow using sea and land legs together

Intermodalni transport je sistem koji podrazumeva prevoz 'od vrata do vrata' pod odgovornošću jednog prevoznika tj. operatora intermodalnog transporta, uz učešće najmanje dva vida transporta (u prevozu tereta bez promene tovarno manipulativne jedinice). Kontejnerski transport je glavna komponenta intermodalnog transporta i međunarodne trgovine. Kontejnerski transportni tok bi trebalo da bude optimalan kako bi se osiguralo pravilno korišćenje resursa i kako bi se omogućila profitabilnost korisnika. Razni višekriterijumski evolucioni algoritmi su razvijeni da efikasno reše probleme optimizacije u kontejnerskom transportu. Ovaj rad predstavlja kratak pregled problema optimizacije u intermodalnom transportu posmatrajući jedan transportni lanac u kome se transport kontejnera obavlja morem i kopnom uzimajući u obzir tri najčešće razmatrana optimizaciona kriterijuma (transportni troškovi, tranzitno vreme i emisija ugljen-dioksida).Intermodal freight transportation refers to a multi-modal chain of container-transportation services which usually links the initial shipper to the final consignee of the container (door-to-door service) and takes place over long distances. Container transportation is a major component of intermodal transportation and international commerce. Container flow should be optimal to ensure proper resource utilization and profitability to players. Various multi-objective evolutionary algorithms have been developed to efficiently solve optimization problems in container flows. This paper presents a short review of optimization problems in intermodal transport using sea and land legs together regarding three mostly observed objectives (transport cost, transit time and CO2 emissions)

A review of multi-objective optimization of container flow using sea and land legs together

Intermodalni transport je sistem koji podrazumeva prevoz 'od vrata do vrata' pod odgovornošću jednog prevoznika tj. operatora intermodalnog transporta, uz učešće najmanje dva vida transporta (u prevozu tereta bez promene tovarno manipulativne jedinice). Kontejnerski transport je glavna komponenta intermodalnog transporta i međunarodne trgovine. Kontejnerski transportni tok bi trebalo da bude optimalan kako bi se osiguralo pravilno korišćenje resursa i kako bi se omogućila profitabilnost korisnika. Razni višekriterijumski evolucioni algoritmi su razvijeni da efikasno reše probleme optimizacije u kontejnerskom transportu. Ovaj rad predstavlja kratak pregled problema optimizacije u intermodalnom transportu posmatrajući jedan transportni lanac u kome se transport kontejnera obavlja morem i kopnom uzimajući u obzir tri najčešće razmatrana optimizaciona kriterijuma (transportni troškovi, tranzitno vreme i emisija ugljen-dioksida).Intermodal freight transportation refers to a multi-modal chain of container-transportation services which usually links the initial shipper to the final consignee of the container (door-to-door service) and takes place over long distances. Container transportation is a major component of intermodal transportation and international commerce. Container flow should be optimal to ensure proper resource utilization and profitability to players. Various multi-objective evolutionary algorithms have been developed to efficiently solve optimization problems in container flows. This paper presents a short review of optimization problems in intermodal transport using sea and land legs together regarding three mostly observed objectives (transport cost, transit time and CO2 emissions)

Simulation framework of port operation and recovery planning

This study proposes a framework of simulation tool suites for ports to evaluate their response to disaster crisis and port security policies. The focus is containerized cargos that are imported through ports in the U.S. with final destinations also in the U.S. A crisis, such as a man-made or natural disaster, may cause a delay at the seaport. The down time of ports may result in severe economic losses. Thus, when a seaport cannot normally operate, it is important to minimize the impact caused by the disrupted freight flow. Port security policies also have a significant impact on the port operation efficiency. This model developed in this study evaluates the performance of re-routing strategies under different crisis scenarios and can help the user to find an effective re-routing decision and analyze security policies of a port. This model also analyzes security policies of the simulation port

Hybrid simulation and optimization approach for green intermodal transportation problem with travel time uncertainty

The increasing volumes of road transportation contribute to congestion on road, which leads to delays and other negative impacts on the reliability of transportation. Moreover, transportation is one of the main contributors to the growth of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, where the impact of road transportation is significant. Therefore, governmental organizations and private commercial companies are looking for greener transportation solutions to eliminate the negative externalities of road transportation. In this paper, we present a novel solution framework to support the operational-level decisions for intermodal transportation networks using a combination of an optimization model and simulation. The simulation model includes stochastic elements in form of uncertain travel times, whereas the optimization model represents a deterministic and linear multi-commodity service network design formulation. The intermodal transportation plan can be optimized according to different objectives, including costs, time and CO2e emissions. The proposed approach is successfully implemented to real-life scenarios where differences in transportation plans for alternative objectives are presented. The solutions for transportation networks with up to 250 services and 20 orders show that the approach is capable of delivering reliable solutions and identifying possible disruptions and alternatives for adapting the unreliable transportation plans