Modelling a rail/road intermodal transportation system

This paper deals with the problem of optimally locating rail/road terminals for freight transport. A linear 0-1 program is formulated and solved by a heuristic approach. The model is applied to the rail/road transportation system in the Iberian Peninsula. Five planning scenarios are considered. It is shown that modal shares are very sensitive to the cost of rail and to that of track gauge changes at the Spanish border. Conversely, the location of the terminals has little or no impact on the market shares of the combined traffic, but location changes in the Peninsula generate consequences on the entire European transportation system.     

Land development implications of the British rail freight renaissance

The post-war era saw a dramatic decline in both the volume and market share of freight transported by rail in Britain. This decline was associated with the closure of thousands of rail freight facilities and reduction by one third in the route mileage of the national railway network. However, as a result of railway privatisation and increasing constraints on the competitiveness of the road haulage industry, the long decline has halted and rail freight traffic is growing. This article reviews the implications of this change for the demand for rail freight facilities and for extra capacity in the railway network, and considers how the land-use planning and transport planning systems might respond.     

A logistical perspective on the potential for modal shift of freight from road to rail in Great Britain

Freight modal shift from road to rail is a potential means by which the negative environmental and social impacts of transport can be reduced. This paper explores recent supply chain changes and assesses their impacts on the mode choice decision-making process, specifically addressing the implications for the use of rail. Despite many of the identified changes effectively making the use of rail more difficult, considerable evidence has been found of the potential for rail to attract new traffic. Much of the identified potential is unlikely to materialise, however, without improvements in rail network capability and capacity and a greater customer focus from rail freight operators.     

Regional policy issues for rail freight services

This paper presents some of the results of the shortlines research project for Ademe (French agency for the environment) and Predit (French support program for surface transport research). The paper focuses on France, and makes some comparisons with North America and Germany. It is organized in two parts. The first part analyses the notion of “short line” freight railways in the European context. We observe that to date, unlike short lines in North America, which have mostly sought cooperation with major railways, the new rail operators in Europe are competing with the majors. The second part discusses regional policies on rail freight transport. We observe that for some time, local governments in France have been afraid that the on-going reduction of regional rail freight services will increase truck traffic and environmental impacts. Today, however, these governments appear to be more reluctant to promote rail freight activities than they were a few years ago. The current conditions under which local lines operate in Europe and especially in France, including small capacity on the infrastructure and high cost of labor and low productivity, may explain this reluctance.     

Congestion and multimodal transport: a survey of cargo transport operators in the Netherlands

Longer and more frequent traffic jams in the Netherlands are increasing the costs of transporting cargo. Tightly scheduled production systems rely on punctual materials movements, but are congestion-induced delays sufficient to stimulate freight mode switching from road to combined road–rail and road–water movements? A survey of Dutch transport companies revealed an estimated 10% of vehicle operating time spent in congested conditions. The perceived impact on transport operations, consumers and service characteristics are reported. Based on the survey findings, a vehicle cost simulation attributed 7% of transport costs to congestion, increasing the attractiveness of multimodal transport and other solutions.     

New method to estimate local and system-wide effects of level rail crossings on network traffic flow

This paper makes local and aggregate estimates of the effects of 152 level crossings in the Melbourne metropolitan area, Australia on traffic congestion in the morning peak period (7 am–9 am). A new method, including micro-simulation of a range of rail crossing configurations, is used to inform a network model which makes aggregate estimates of impacts on all traffic.Relationships between train frequency and percentage change in vehicle travel time and volume were identified. These equations can predict change in travel time/traffic flow caused by rail level crossings based on rail crossing closures and train frequency.Overall, Melbourne's level crossings result in an average increase in travel time of 16.1% for vehicle traffic on links with a level crossing. However on average a level crossing reduces the volume of vehicles on these links by 5.9% as a result of traffic diversion. These values are higher in middle suburbs where train arrivals and crossing closure times at level crossings are more frequent.The aggregate effect of all 152 level rail crossings on all traffic in Melbourne is a travel time change from 1.81 to 1.82 min/km (an increase of around 0.3%). The number of congested links in Melbourne increases by 0.9% while the total delay increases by 0.7%. These network wide effects are not large compared to localised effects because road links affected directly by crossings represent a very small part of the overall network. Additionally, network effects also include traffic diversion impacts which will counteract some of the immediate impacts on a localised scale. However, it is significant that the very small element of the system can have even a measurable effect on aggregate traffic congestion.     

Estimating an origin–destination table for US imports of waterborne containerized freight

Containerized freight imports into the US are growing at an average of 10% per year. This traffic is concentrated at a small number of US seaports. It is therefore important to have an accurate understanding of the flow of containers from their origin country through these seaports to their final destination. This paper develops an optimization model to estimate route flows and a corresponding multi-modal origin–destination table for containers by synthesizing data on international trade and railcar movements with a gravity model for the demand of container traffic. This analysis provides insights into the balance of rail and truck inland transportation from each port.     

铁路货运组织改革相关法律问题探讨

铁路货运组织改革涉及诸多相关法律问题。从铁路货运组织改革所涉及的铁路运输企业与货主企业外部法律关系变化的角度,探讨了铁路承运人经营资格、铁路运输行为的法律规制、铁路货运合同的内涵变化以及铁路货物损害赔偿等法律问题,有助于进一步完善铁路货运法律制度。     

Freight transportation demand elasticities: a geographic multimodal transportation network analysis

This paper presents direct and cross-elasticity estimates of the demands for three freight transportation modes: rail, road and inland waterways. They are computed for 10 different categories of goods with a detailed multimodal network model of Belgian freight transports. The model, which minimises the generalised cost of transportation tasks defined by O-D matrices, assigns traffic flows to the different modes, transport means and routes. Successive simulations with different relative costs permit the computation of specific arc-elasticities. In contrast with the usual methodologies, the present methodology is not based on a statistical analysis of disaggregate data on actual modal choices and transport tariffs. This is a particularly useful feature since such data are mostly not available for freight transports in Europe. Furthermore, it fully takes into account the detailed characteristics of the network, all available routes and combinations of modes, as well as the specific localisation of activities within the network. Its estimates are compared with previously published estimates, and, in particular, with Abdelwahab's results published (1998) in this journal.     

Appropriate indicators of rail freight activity and market share: A review of UK practice and recommendations for change

Growth in rail freight activity features strongly in contemporary transport policy at both the United Kingdom (UK) and European Union (EU) scale. Specifically, the British government set an 80% growth target between 2000 and 2010, with lower (but still substantial) growth estimates being identified in late-2005. This paper assesses the appropriateness of the forms of measurement adopted for rail freight activity and argues that achieving stated growth targets or estimates will not necessarily mean that policies encouraging modal shift from road to rail have succeeded. Additional or alternative means of monitoring the level of rail freight activity are discussed, since this is an issue of fundamental importance to policy implementation and evaluation.     

Demand-responsive transit circulator service network design

Commuter rail systems are being introduced into many urban areas as an alternative mode to automobiles for commuting trips. It is anticipated that the shift from the auto mode to rail mode can greatly help alleviate traffic congestion in urban road networks. However, the right-of-way of many existing commuter rail systems is usually not ideally located. Since the locations of rail systems were typically chosen long ago to serve the needs of freight customers, the majority of current commuter rail passengers have to take a non-walkable connecting trip to reach their final destinations after departing the most conveniently located rail stations. To make rail a more viable commuting option and thus more competitive to the auto mode, a bus feeder or circulator system is proposed for transporting passengers from their departing rail stations to final work destinations in a seamless transfer manner. The key research question with operating such a bus circulator system is how to optimally determine a bus route and stopping sequence for each circulating tour by using the real-time demand information. In this paper, we name this joint routing and stopping optimization problem the circulator service network design problem, the objective of which is to minimize the total tour cost incurred to bus passengers and operators with respect to minimizing the walk time of each individual bus passenger. A bi-level nonlinear mixed integer programming model is constructed and a tabu search method with different local search strategies and neighborhood evaluation methods is then developed for tackling the circulator service network design problem.     

Rail access charges and the competitiveness of high speed trains

This paper examines rail access charges for high speed trains on new high speed lines in Europe and the impact these have on the market position of high speed rail. It examines the latest evidence on the marginal infrastructure and external costs of high speed rail, finding that the best evidence is that these are both not more than 2 €/train-km. However, current legislation states that environmental costs should not be charged for unless they are charged for on competing modes. Mark ups based on Ramsey pricing principles might reasonably raise prices by 100–200%, given that infrastructure charges are only a part of the final price of rail. The paper then examines the actual prices charged in the main European countries operating high speed trains and the impact these are likely to have on traffic levels and mode split. It is found that mark ups often exceed even the optimal Ramsey levels, with a significant impact on rail volumes and market share. It is concluded that, whilst it is not surprising that governments wish to recover some of the construction costs of new high speed rail lines from users, they should consider carefully whether the level of charges is actually significantly reducing traffic on and benefits from these lines.     

The geography of freight-related accidents in the era of E-commerce: Evidence from the Los Angeles metropolitan area

Due to the burgeoning demand for freight movement in the era of e-commerce, freight related road safety threats have been growing in both urban and suburban areas, despite the improved general traffic safety over the past decades. The empirical evidence on how freight trucks related crashes are distributed across neighborhoods and correlated to spatially varying factors is, however, highly limited. This article uses data from the Los Angeles region in 2018 to analyze the spatial patterns of freight trucks related traffic crashes and examines the major factors that contribute to those patterns using spatial econometric models. Maps show that freight trucks related crashes are highly associated with major freight generators but less clustered than the overall traffic crashes. Results from the spatial Durbin model indicate that access to freight generators, economic attributes, land uses, road infrastructure, and road network variables all contribute to the spatial distribution of freight trucks related crashes. The findings could help transport planners understand the dynamics of freight trucks related traffic safety and develop operational measures for mitigating the impacts of growing goods movement on local communities.     

On structural inelasticity of modal substitution in freight transport

At the European level there is an increasing focus on how freight transport can be moved from trucks on roads to more environmentally friendly modes such as rail and ship. A large proportion of the transport services between OD pairs, however, cannot be substituted since there is only one alternative available. The paper investigates the magnitude of this “structural inelasticity” of modal substitution in freight transport due to a sparser layout of rail and ship-based freight networks compared to road. In the analysis we use a recent Scandinavian freight demand model covering more than 800 zones. We find that the structural inelasticity is very significant - in particular for transportation over less than 500 km. Moreover, the inelasticity varies greatly with commodity groups and between OD pairs, and it depends strongly on the port and rail infrastructure. The results suggest that pure charging instruments (road pricing for trucks) in many regions will have limited mode substitution impacts. However, if combined with structural changes in terms of improved infrastructure for rail and ship, impacts may be greater.     

Adding a freight network to a national interstate input–output model: a TransNIEMO application for California

The state of the nation’s infrastructure is the subject of widespread discussion and comment because it is thought to include many deteriorating and unsafe bridges. Ever since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, there has been increasing concern over the extent to which an attack on infrastructure could result in serious economic disruption. This research develops a model to analyze the economic consequences of an attack on a major element of the highway network. We add a freight network to a national multiregional economic impact model and make freight traffic flows endogenous. The use of a sub-national interstate model recognizes that most infrastructure planning is at the state level and most political leaders’ interest is local. We base our approach on the National Interstate Economic Model (NIEMO) and refer to an elaboration that we name Transportation network and the National Interstate Economic Model (TransNIEMO). The new model enables us to study the state-specific and industry-specific economic impacts of some significant changes in the nature of highway freight movements. We tested the model for selected freight movements in and out of California. The results are entirely plausible and encourage us to elaborate and test the model for hypothetical disruptions of freight traffic throughout the US.     

The dry port concept: connecting container seaports with the hinterland

The dry port concept is based on a seaport directly connected by rail with inland intermodal terminals where containers can be dealt with in the same way as if they were in a seaport. The main purpose of the article is to extend the theory behind the dry port concept and to define three dry port categories; distant, midrange and close. The findings show that the dry port concept can help identify ways of shifting freight volumes from road to more energy efficient traffic modes that are less harmful to the environment, relieve seaport cities from some congestion and facilitate improved logistics solutions for shippers in the port’s hinterland.     

Decomposing the decoupling of Danish road freight traffic growth and economic growth

In recent years many European countries have seen a decoupling of the growth in road freight traffic (vehicle kilometres) from economic growth. A similar decoupling has not been observed in road freight transport (tonne kilometres). In this paper the historical growth in national Danish road freight traffic and transport is attributed to causes using a Divisia index decomposition method. It is demonstrated that overall road freight traffic growth is a consequence of often opposite pointing growth effects in the underlying factors. The observed decoupling of road freight traffic growth from economic growth is mainly the result of use of larger vehicles, increasing average loads, and less empty running. Growth in road freight transport is primarily caused by growth in production. A decrease in the number of tons lifted per tonne produced (the handling factor) is offset by an increase in the tonne kilometres per tonne lifted.     

我国高铁经营快递业务的探讨

基于我国高速铁路的迅速发展及快递业务量的持续增长,在分析国外铁路快运货物现状的基础上,结合我国高铁的特点及铁路货运改革,探讨了我国高铁经营快递业务的必要性及具体的经营思路,总结并提出了高铁经营快递业务过程中要解决的关键问题.     

高速铁路发展与中国铁路货运

随着中国高速铁路的发展,铁路运输能力快速提升,经济社会快速发展和产业结构优化升级促使高附加值产成品、集装箱等货物运输需求迅猛增长。新形势下,中国铁路货运面临着前所未有的发展机遇,研究高速铁路发展与中国铁路货运具有重要意义。分析中国高速铁路发展对铁路货物运输的影响,介绍中国铁路货运组织创新的一系列举措以及取得的成就,并对客货分线后中国铁路货运的发展战略进行探讨。     

The non-bulk market for rail freight in Great Britain

An increased role for rail freight is an objective of the British government. Limited growth potential exists in rail’s traditional bulk markets, so more non-bulk volume is needed. This paper focuses on non-bulk rail freight activity in Britain, through desk-based research and company interviews. It considers changes in both the intermodal and traditional less-than-trainload (LTL) markets over the last decade. Issues relating to the use of these two types of services are presented, covering the principal opportunities and major constraints. Growth potential for both intermodal and traditional LTL flows is identified, but success is dependent upon important pre-requisites being satisfied.