The directional development of intermodal freight corridors in relation to inland terminals

This paper examines the spatial development of freight infrastructure, developing a conceptual model that draws attention to the directional development of intermodal corridors in relation to inland terminals. Two concepts of vertical control of the development process are proposed in this paper, beginning with Inside-Out, whereby inland intermodal terminals seek greater integration with their sea ports, often driven by public body intervention. By contrast, Outside-In development is displayed by the conscious use of an inland node as a tool for sea port actors (whether port authorities or terminal operators) to expand their hinterland and capture discretionary cargo.One of the key distinctions between the two models is the role played by different government approaches to the development of inland terminal facilities. Therefore three national examples are discussed: Sweden, where the public sector is directly involved in development; Scotland, where the private sector is left to develop terminals but government encourages the process through spatial planning and modal shift funding; and the USA, where the national government has traditionally taken little action.The primary contribution of this paper is the research agenda developed out of the conceptual model above, which should be applied to additional case studies in future work. Arising from the conceptual model and the examination of the role of public bodies is a debate on the role of regulation. However the subject of regulation is only touched upon in this paper, therefore more research is required on the government’s role in infrastructure planning and regulation in order to determine the best approach in this policy area.     

Optimizing the aerodynamic efficiency of intermodal freight trains

We develop an aerodynamic loading assignment model for intermodal freight trains based on an integer-programming framework to help terminal managers make up more fuel-efficient trains. This is the first use of optimization modeling to address the aerodynamics and energy efficiency of railroad intermodal trains. Several recommendations regarding railway equipment use, operations, and policy are proposed to improve fuel-efficiency and reduce emissions from intermodal transportation. Analysis of one major railroad intermodal route reveals the potential to reduce fuel consumption by 15 million gallons per year with corresponding savings of $28,000,000. Greater benefits are possible through broader implementation of the model.     

Assessing policy measures for the stimulation of intermodal transport: a GIS-based policy analysis

Intermodal transport is the combination and integration of several transport modes (such as rail, inland waterways with road transport). In order to make the transhipment easy and efficient standard loading units are used, such as containers or swap-bodies. As for the main haul, more environmental friendly modes are used (rail and inland waterways) and a modal shift towards these modes can help in reducing the congestion. Therefore several policies are directed to stimulate the intermodal transport market.In this paper, a location analysis model for Belgian intermodal terminals (LAMBIT) is developed and used to assess different policy measures in Belgium. The simulations show that the different policy measures oriented towards the rail/road and inland waterways/road combinations should be incorporated in a coherent, integrated vision, in order to not create a modal shift between the different intermodal transport options. The methodology can easily be extended towards a European scale.     

Integration of inland waterway transport in the intermodal supply chain: a taxonomy of research challenges

This paper identifies research opportunities which will enable the further integration of inland waterway transport in the intermodal supply chain. Intermodal transport may be interpreted as a chain of actors who supply a transport service. Inland navigation can play a crucial role in increasing supply chain service performance. A first group of research challenges lies in the evolving relationship between transport geography and logistics activities. The next set of research challenges has the objective to encourage efficient operations in IWT: development of a system wide model for IWT, integration of operational planning systems and analysis of bundling networks. A third group of research efforts is directed towards shippers and consignees who use the intermodal transport chain to send or receive their goods: further development of models that integrate intermodal transport decisions with supply chain decisions and creation of green supply chains. A fourth cluster of research challenges concerns the problem domain of external cost calculations. Finally detailed time series data on freight transport should be collected to support these future research tracks.     

Differential pricing strategies of air freight transport carriers in the spot market

The single pricing approach fails to reflect different demand changes in response to its cargo space prices at different sales periods. This might be an obstacle to maximize the cargo space revenue of air freight carriers. This paper conducts the empirical analysis on pricing strategies in the spot market for two competitive air freight transport carriers operating on the same segment. It concludes that two carriers gain more revenues with the optimized differential pricing approach than with the single pricing approach. In theory, the research enriches the current literature in terms of pricing strategy optimization under the competition of two parties. In practice, it provides references for air freight transport carriers in their decision-making of applying the differential pricing strategy.     

做大做强客货运输核心业务增强铁路运输企业市场竞争力

做大做强铁路客货运输核心业务,是新形势下转变铁路发展方式的客观需要,也是促进铁路运输企业可持续发展的必然要求。结合郑州铁路局实际。探讨如何通过提升运输效益、提升运输效率和提升服务质量,做大做强客货运输核心业务,增强铁路运输企业市场竞争力。     

适应现代物流理念的合肥铁路枢纽货运站布局规划

运输市场竞争的加剧,要求铁路货运业务必须向现代物流服务转变。结合合肥经济、交通发展现状及规划,提出了完善优化合肥铁路枢纽货运站布局、合肥综合性货运站搬迁的必要性,对物流化合肥铁路枢纽货运站选址的原则、方案及结果进行详细分析。     

Out of sight,out of cancellation: The impact of psychological distance on the cancellation behavior of tourists

Travel products such as package tours, Airtels, hotel rooms, and airline seats lose their value unless they are sold by a certain date. Therefore, predicting customer behavior allows travel companies to maximize their profits, minimize their loss of revenue by balancing supply and demand (e.g., determining an overbooking level), and wisely respond to pressures from the government and customer groups to lessen cancellation penalties. For this reason, it is important to investigate what cause people to cancel their travel plans after reservations have been made. Based on construal level theory (CLT), this study tries to identify the reasons for the cancellation behavior of customers in accordance with different types of psychological distance between travelers and their travel or reservation behavior. Moreover, it examines the moderating role of tourists’ dependence on a travel agency in these relationships for predicting tourist cancellation patterns in a more specific manner.     

An examination of the factors that impact upon multiple vehicle ownership: The case of Dublin, Ireland

This paper examines the characteristics of households with multiple car ownership in Dublin, Ireland. Data from the 2006 Census of Ireland are analysed to ascertain the characteristics of these households. The analysis of multiple car ownership presented herein examines individual specific, transport availability, and household characteristics to provide an indication of the individuals most likely to have access to more than one vehicle. Understanding the characteristics of households with more than one car is important for many reasons, such as how policies for emissions reductions or pricing regimes might affect households. Ireland, like many countries, has recently launched a number of electric vehicle and car sharing schemes. Traditionally these schemes have been aimed at reducing multiple car ownership, therefore it is important to develop an understanding of the households that would most likely give up an extra car and use a car sharing scheme or an electric vehicle. Also from a sustainability point of view, greater levels of car ownership can result in unsustainable transport patterns.This paper examines the Census data using a multinomial logit regression model to determine the relationships between multiple car ownership levels and several household characteristics. The findings of the paper demonstrate that occupation, public transport availability and residential density all have an impact upon the decision to own more than one vehicle.