Freight transport network design using particle swarm optimisation in supply chain–transport supernetwork equilibrium

This paper presents a discrete network design problem for optimally designing freight transport network in terms of the efficiency of supply chain. Modelling is undertaken within the framework of mathematical programmes with equilibrium constraints, which first incorporates both supply chain and transport networks explicitly. The upper level determines the best set of actions for transport network improvement, while the lower-level decision is based on a supply chain–multimodal transport supernetwork equilibrium. New variants of particle swarm optimisation are developed to approximately solve the upper level. Numerical tests reveal their superior performance and the effective freight transport-related actions.     

基于BP-SA混合优化策略的铁路货运量时间序列预测

铁路货运量的时间序列预测可以看为一个从输入到输出的非线性影射。神经网络尤其是BP神经网络,被广泛用于非线性逼近问题。但是,BP算法训练神经网络速度慢、易陷入局部极值。而模拟退火算法(SA)具有很好的全局寻优性。因而提出混合优化策略,即将反向传播算法(BP)和模拟退火算法(SA)结合起来训练神经网络,来实现铁路货运量的时间序列预测。与单纯的BP算法比较,数值计算结果表明BP-SA混合优化策略具有较高的速度和精度。     

云南铁路货运量增长问题研究

在分析国内外铁路货运需求增长模型的基础上,提出铁路货运需求增长过程的4阶段划分理论,结合云南铁路发展滞后的现状,建立了消除铁路货运能力限制的货运量增长模型。通过对云南铁路货运量和货运需求量的计算,应用MATLAB仿真技术验证了模型的正确性,并对云南铁路货运量和货运需求量进行了预测。     

Analysis of greenhouse gas emissions of freight transport sector in China

Due to the increasing commercial activities in China, the rapid growth of energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the freight transport sector has alarmed the Chinese central government. However, there is a lack of standard measure for evaluating GHG emissions generated from freight transport operations. To improve this situation, Chinese policy makers need to evaluate GHG emissions for energy saving and pollution reduction. This background leads us to examine the GHG emission trajectories and features of Chinese freight transport patterns in the last decade, i.e. between 2000 and 2011. In this study, we examine different regions’ freight turnover and energy consumption by various transport modes (i.e. railway, highway, waterway, aircraft, and oil pipeline) in China. Our results show that the total amount of GHG emissions caused by the Chinese freight transport sector reached 978 million tons in 2011, indicating an average annual growth of 74 million tons CO₂e for the last decade. Shandong, Anhui, and Henan are the main provinces producing GHG emissions, representing 11.7%, 10.3%, and 10% of total emissions generated from the freight transport sector in China, respectively. This study also compares the regional GHG emissions from different freight transport modes including railway, highway, waterway, air transport, and oil pipeline. Based on the findings, policy implications are provided on how to mitigate freight transport emissions among different Chinese regions.     

A meta-model for passenger and freight transport in Europe

On the basis of the outcomes of five disaggregate national models for passenger transport, four national models for freight transport and two European transport models, a fast and approximate meta-model for passenger and freight transport in Europe has been developed. The meta-model for passenger transport includes a detailed segmentation of the population, which makes it possible to investigate the impact of policies on many different groups of the population. The meta-model for passenger and freight transport has been applied for a reference scenario for 2020 and to simulate many elements of the European Commission's Common Transport Policy. These policy measures were also assessed in terms of the consequences on the internal and external cost of transport.     

竞争性综合运输中公路货运定价的研究

利用双层优化方法,将公路货运企业的经营目标函数和客户的选择函数统一考虑,分析了在客户选择最优基础上的公路货运定价问题,通过构建模型,求解得到货运价格。该价格是满足消费者福利剩余最大化的价格,有利于社会资源的优化配置和公路货运企业、综合运输市场的发展。     

利用Web应用技术搭建铁路货运站服务网

针对当前铁路货运站在货运服务方面存在的问题,结合我国计算机网络的发展应用状况和铁路货运站有关管理信息系统的情况,提出利用Web应用技术搭建铁路货运站服务网的方案。通过为铁路货运站和货主提供一个信息交互平台,以期达到提高货运站的服务质量和工作效率,增强铁路运输企业市场竞争力的目的。     

A supply chain-transport supernetwork equilibrium model with the behaviour of freight carriers

This paper presents a supernetwork equilibrium model integrating supply chain networks with a transport network, namely, a supply chain-transport supernetwork equilibrium model. The model takes into account the behaviour of freight carriers and transport network users to endogenously determine the transport costs generated in the supply chain networks. The interaction between transport network and supply chain networks can also be examined. Results of the numerical tests reveal that the improvement of transport network could enhance the efficiency of supply chain networks. The paper makes contributions to modelling of supply chain networks as well as to that of transport networks.     

中国铁路货运市场占有率发展趋势分析

分析中国铁路货运的发展形势,建立关于铁路、公路货运量在全社会货运量中所占市场份额的差分方程组模型,运算后得出铁路货运在整个货运市场中的占有率趋向。通过利用历史统计数据计算,得到铁路货运市场占有率的一个数值解。     

Regional disparity analysis of Chinese freight transport CO2 emissions from 1990 to 2007: Driving forces and policy challenges

Freight transportation and logistics act as the artery of the national economy. With a booming economy, China's freight transport sector has experienced dramatic growth in recent decades and has become a key driving force of China's CO₂ emissions. Therefore, effective and efficient mitigation policies in the freight transport sector are critical for China to promote CO₂ emission mitigation strategies. In contrast to other countries, China's challenge stems not only from technical issues but also from regional socioeconomic disparities, which in turn require the implementation of locally oriented policies. For this reason, an analysis based on regional disparity is of vital importance for future policy making. However, to date, there have been few pertinent studies on the freight transportation sector. To fill this gap, this paper aims to conduct an in-depth comparative study of CO₂ emission characteristics and the driving forces in the freight transport sector in China's three regions (covering 31 provinces) from 1990 to 2007. The log mean Divisia index method (LMDI) is employed to analyse the driving forces, and the Gini coefficient is used to investigate regional inequity. Additionally, regional disparity is explored in-depth based on the analytical results and practical concerns. The results highlight that economic structure is a key driving force for emissions change and reveal significant regional disparity and inequity in freight transport emissions. The results are critical for future policy-making to address regional concerns.     

铁路装车地直达列车组织研究

铁路装车地直达列车作为一种高效的车流组织形式,可以提升铁路货物运输效率和服务质量,对于增强铁路运输市场竞争力具有积极作用。分析铁路车流的3种典型运输模式,以所有货车的总运输时间最短为优化目标,建立装车地直达列车编组计划优化的线性0-1规划模型,利用MATLAB软件求解。通过算例分析,验证了在装车量较小的装车站或装车量较大而无法满足整列出车条件的装车站组织开行装车地直达列车的合理性。     

Performance evaluation of China's air routes based on network data envelopment analysis approach

Air routes are among the most important elements of civil aviation transport. Airlines' operations are mainly dependent on the structure and layout of air routes. This paper first divides the production process of air routes into two stages, allocation and transport, based on air route operational characteristics. Then, two network data envelopment analysis (DEA) models are proposed to analyze the efficiency of the system, allocation, passenger transport, and freight transport of 477 air routes. The research result demonstrates that the different constraints on intermediate measure in the network DEA models do affect the air routes’ efficiency significantly; Most air routes have high allocation efficiency and passenger transport efficiency, while they have low freight transport efficiency. Furthermore, the efficiencies of 82 airports are also analyzed after aggregating the efficiencies of the air routes.     

A time-period choice model for road freight transport in Flanders based on stated preference data

This paper presents one of the first models explaining the choice of time-period in road freight transport. Policies that would shift some fraction of the trucks from peak to earlier and later periods will contribute to the reduction of congestion. Therefore there is an increasing interest in modelling the time-period sensitivity of road freight transport to changes in travel time and cost by period. The model developed here is based on a stated preference survey amongst receivers of goods in Flanders and was implemented in the strategic freight transport model of the Flemish authorities.     

Analysis of intermodal freight from China to Indian Ocean: A goal programming approach

This paper presents an intermodal network optimization model to examine the competitiveness of 36 alternative routings for freight moving from China to and beyond Indian Ocean. The proposed model, which is built upon the principles of goal programming, is able to handle multiple and conflicting objective functions such as minimizing transportation cost, transit time and transit time variability while ensuring flow continuity and transit nodes compatibility among the rail, road, ocean vessel, airplane and inland waterway transports. Transportation time and cost obtained from comprehensive industry sources are then fed into the intermodal transport network connecting two important Chinese origins and four Indian destinations, from which the most attractive routes are identified. In addition, the paper investigates several non-dominated transportation cases through sensitivity analysis tests, and analyzes the potential competitiveness and possible influences of future route developments to current transportation patterns in Asia.     

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.     

Connectivity to international markets: A multi-layered network approach

Improving connectivity for freight movements between countries is increasingly a topic at the centre of the international trade and transport policy agendas. In spite of this, a method to asses a country's degree of connectivity to its international markets for freight is still missing. To close this gap, this paper proposes a multi-layered network approach that enables the assessment of: (i) the different factors that influence connectivity to international markets; and (ii) the extent to which a country's connections matter for its international trade activities. The international trade network and its ‘support network’ are analysed using network theory. The approach proposed is applied to the Americas, a region the relevant literature has not specifically focused on yet. It is expected that a comprehensive understanding and assessment of the determinants of connectivity for freight will contribute to guide and design more effective policies to remove barriers to international trade flows.     

Monetary values of freight transport quality attributes: A sample of Tanzanian firms

This paper presents the findings of a stated preference research conducted in Tanzania (East Africa). The objective of the survey was to determine the relative importance as well as monetary values attached to freight transport quality attribute by shippers in this region. In-depth interviews with the logistic managers of companies that produce and ship goods were conducted. The freight transport quality attributes considered in this survey were flexibility, frequency, loss and damage, reliability, and transit time. The monetary values of these attributes have been computed as willingness to pay for their improvement as well as willingness to accept compensation for a decrease in their quality. The results show that shippers in this region consider travel time, loss and damage and frequency as the most important quality attributes. This may have relevant implications for the infrastructural transport policies to be implemented in the country.     

UK supply chain carbon mitigation strategies using alternative ports and multimodal freight transport operations

In the last few decades, the building evidence that CO₂e emissions lead to climate change has pointed to a need to reduce CO₂e emissions. This research uses five scenarios in the context of UK import trade to assess total CO₂e emissions and costs of import re-routing containers. The overall objective is to assess possible carbon mitigation strategies for UK supply chains by using a combination of alternative ports and revised multimodal strategies. The model adopted includes three elements: port expansion, container handling and freight transport. The alternative scenarios explore different settings modal shift and short sea shipping.     

An agent based model concept for assessing modal share in inter-regional freight transport markets

This paper introduces an Agent based modelling approach to model inter-urban freight transport between two or more trading regions. The use of the model is to ascertain the modal share of competing transport modes (road and intermodal) while taking complex transport service supply–demand dynamics into account. It is structured by modules describing company generation, supplier choice, modal competition and International road freight transport market dynamics. The behaviour of individual actors is simulated using normative agent behaviour and market knowledge. Using the micro-simulation approach, shippers and carriers (primarily road hauliers and a maritime based intermodal operator) interact through simulated contracts resulting in the generation of tours. The service performance of the tours is fed back into the model for decision making during contract deliberations. Preliminary application of model to Mediterranean case study show that market share gains of around 25–30% are obtained with policy interventions of financial subsidies to intermodal services and more frequent shipping services in the intermodal transport respectively.     

基于CS战略的铁路货运产品设计方法研究

针对当前货运产品设计存在的问题,在货运产品设计中引入CS战略的相关理念,从分析客户运输需求出发,充分利用准确、实时、全面的信息,设计出令客户满意并与市场紧密联系的货运产品,实现铁路与客户的“双赢”。