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.     

Determining fixed crane areas in rail–rail transshipment yards

To enable rapid container transshipment between freight trains in modern rail–rail transshipment yards efficient computerized scheduling procedures are indispensable. This paper proposes a dynamic programming approach, which determines yard areas for gantry cranes, so that the workload is evenly spread among cranes and, thus, train processing is accelerated. In a straightforward simulation of transshipment yard operations, the effect of optimal crane areas vs. equally sized areas is studied, the latter being a common real-world policy. The results indicate a remarkable speed-up of train processing if optimal crane areas are applied.     

An analysis of intermodal ramp selection methods

A key issue affecting the viability and efficacy of intermodal transportation via truck and rail is the operational selection of intermodal ramps. In this paper, two alternatives for ramp selection are examined. Both methods seek to reduce total empty and circuitous miles incurred during intermodal drayage movements. The sensitivity to the ramp group configuration and to freight compatibility is tested to determine the robustness of the findings. The analysis is industrially motivated, using data supplied by J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. The primary contribution of the paper is in quantifying the performance of the ramp selection methods in various operational settings.     

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.     

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.     

The barge and rail freight market for export-bound grain movement from midwest to Mexican Gulf: an econometric analysis

An econometric model of the barge and rail freight market is developed so that factors which influence barge and rail rates for export-bound grain from Midwest to Mexican Gulf can be better understood. Three-stage least squares method is used to estimate the system of four equations that constitute the model. A number of identified factors turned out to be significant in determining grains rail and barge transportation rates. Given the interactive nature of supply and demand processes it is difficult to pinpoint a single most important factor. Yet it is clear that a substitute nature of the two transportation modes in addition to direct price-quantity relationship determine most of the transportation rates.     

Demand for cargo airships: An analysis of mode choice decision making in the freight transport industry

Despite their potential, cargo airships currently remain a theoretical concept. This research aims to examine the factors determining the demand for their services from the perspective of transport logistics professionals. An online freight mode choice experiment is conducted, supplemented with follow-up semi-structured interviews. Across freight types the sensitivity of the modes (road, rail, sea and airship) to the attributes (price, time, reliability and frequency) varied substantially. Willingness to pay for the cargo airship mode for travel time saved is estimated to be $23/tonne/hour. It is conservatively estimated that the potential market share of cargo airships in the Australian domestic freight market varies across airship models with LMH-1 having the lowest market share of 8% while ARH50 has the largest potential market share at 25%.     

Optimizing station location and fleet composition for a high-speed rail line

This paper proposes a new strategic planning model for high-speed rail ventures. It is a mixed-integer optimization model that applies to a given line and focuses on two key strategic decisions: station location and fleet composition. Our purpose is to improve on previous station location models by including fleet composition decisions. In the new model, we additionally take into account in an approximate fashion the interrelationships between strategic and subsequent tactical decisions, regarding line planning, train scheduling and fleet assignment issues. The usefulness of the model is demonstrated for a case study involving a planned Lisbon-Oporto high-speed rail line.     

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.     

Analysis,modeling, and assessing performances of supply chains served by long-distance freight transport corridors

This article deals with an analysis, modeling, and assessing performances of supply chains served by long-distance intercontinental intermodal rail/road- and sea-shipping freight transport corridor(s). For such a purpose, the supply chains are defined and the methodology for assessing their performances under given conditions is developed. The methodology consists of the analytical models of indicators of the operational, economic, environmental and social performances of particular corridors and corresponding supply chains assumed to be dependent on the infrastructural and technical/technological capabilities. The models of particular indicators have been applied according to “what-if” scenario approach to assessing performances of the long-distance intercontinental inland and maritime freight transport corridors spreading between China and Europe in the scope of the “Silk Road Economic Belt” and “A New Maritime Silk Road” policy initiative. The results prove that the intermodal inland rail/road alternative could act as a serious competitive alternative to its maritime deep-sea counterpart under given conditions. Nevertheless, in order to realize the opportunities, large investments in the inland rail/road infrastructure are required to appropriately connect China with Europe.     

Identifying sources of systematic variation in direct price elasticities from revealed preference studies of inter-city freight demand

Freight demand elasticity studies vary significantly in terms of the demand measure, data type, estimation method, commodity type, etc. This wide variation makes it difficult to compare empirical estimates when the differences may arise in part from the methods and data used. In this paper we conduct a comparative analysis to identify systematic sources of influence on direct price elasticity estimates in the context of freight transport, distinguishing between road, rail, and sea transport, using published direct price elasticities from 12 elasticity-derivative studies from five countries. The study focuses on revealed preference elasticities defined by the freight rate for tonnes and tonne kilometres of inter-city freight movements. Systematic sources that explain differences in direct price elasticities include the demand elasticity measure, mode, commodity class, model estimation form, country, and temporal nature of data (e.g., cross-section). Analysts can utilise the model outputs to adjust the empirical evidence from specific studies to control for differences that impact on the behavioural implications of comparative evidence.     

The impacts on freight train operational performance of new rail infrastructure to segregate passenger and freight traffic

Rail freight has an important role to play in improving the resource efficiency and sustainability of freight transport within the supply chain. The British rail network has seen considerable growth of both freight and passenger activity in the last 20 years, leading to concerns about its capacity to absorb continued growth. A number of infrastructure initiatives focused on increasing capacity and reducing conflicts have been implemented. This includes the North Doncaster Chord, opened in June 2014 primarily to provide a more direct route from the port of Immingham to the major Aire Valley power stations (i.e. Drax, Eggborough and Ferrybridge).The paper analyses the freight impacts of the new chord, focusing on three key operational measures (i.e. train routing, scheduled journey times and train punctuality) during 10-week survey periods before and after the opening of the chord. The analysis is based on real-time data relating to coal and biomass trains operating between Immingham and the three power stations. This is a novel approach as the data have been made publicly available only recently, allowing a detailed investigation of the flows on this corridor at a highly disaggregated level. The use of this empirical method to assess the detailed rail freight operational impacts is an important element in the process of evaluating the effects of network enhancement. The results demonstrate improvements in each of the three operational measures, but also reveal a situation considerably more complex than that suggested by the published material relating to the justification for this new infrastructure.     

Impact of transalpine rail network disruptions: A study of the Brenner Pass

This work investigates the impact of sudden rail closures on transportation networks and the local industries affected. A decision support system is introduced, which automatically generates a rail network and simulates passenger and freight traffic. In case of rail closures, freight traffic is rerouted and resulting delays are calculated. Furthermore, the option to transship from rail to road at terminals is enabled. The model is tested using data originating from a major transalpine rail corridor, the ‘Brenner Pass’, which connects Austria and Italy. Results show rail links which are critical and the impact of various disaster scenarios is compared.     

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.     

高速铁路网规划和运输组织的理论与实践初探

根据高速铁路的技术特征，对高速铁路、城际铁路的线路走向、车站及站场布局、与其他交通方式无缝化衔接、主要通道客货分线运输、旅客列车运输组织协调等因素进行了分析，对高速铁路路网规划、运输组织理论作了初步探讨，并对高速铁路网规划建设和运输组织实践作了简要分析。     

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.     

铁路货运营业站的业务流程再造

铁路货运营业站是直接面对客户的前台窗口,其业务流程再造是提高铁路运输效益及竞争能力的有效手段和迫切要求。在讨论铁路货运站业务流程再造的内涵和主要原则的基础上,对货运受理业务流程再造、运到货物交付业务流程再造、货车配送与挂运业务流程再造等进行了具体改进研究。     

Statistical estimation of railroad congestion delay

This research identifies factors that are the major contributors to freight rail congestion using statistical analysis. Total train running time is predicted based on free running time predictors (horsepower per ton, track topography and slow orders) and congestion-related factors (meets, passes, overtakes, prior time periods’ train counts, total train hours, train spacing variability, and train departure headway). Primary congestion predictive factors (meets, passes, overtakes) are consistently found to have the largest effect on congestion delay. The predictive equations are used to forecast average monthly train running time with a 4.6% mean absolute percent error.     

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.     

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。