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The present study explores whether the European Union’s transport policy measures of the last decade have fulfilled the expectations, i.e. whether there has been a positive change in the field of rail freight transport in the region. Data on the volumes of freight transport in the recent period have been analysed with freight transport intensity as an indicator. The values have been then translated into a spatial econometric model, looking for spatiality in the European Economic Region, including countries such as Norway, Switzerland or even Russia, extending the scope of the study to 37 countries. It has been proven that there is a spatial correlation between rail freight transport performance and GDP in Europe, which has a positive effect on countries with high GDP and a negative effect on low GDP countries in terms of performance. There is a particularly high intensity of rail freight in the Baltic region, as well as in Ukraine and Russia. Furthermore, it can be stated that rail freight has not undergone any significant changes in the last 10 years.

Während der Transportsektor in der EU aufgrund steigenden Bedarfs ständig wächst, ist er für einen großen Teil des Energie- und CO2-Verbrauchs verantwortlich. Im Güterzugverkehr, eine der klimafreundlichsten und preisgünstigsten Optionen, werden meist zwei verschiedene Zugverkehrstypen eingesetzt: Der flexiblere Wagenladungsverkehr und der günstigere Ganzzugverkehr.In dieser Arbeit untersuchen wir einen alternativen Ansatz aus Sicht einer Spedition, der die Vorteile beider Zugverkehrstypen kombiniert. Im "Multiple Collaborative Round Trip Problem" (MCRP) optimieren wir den Transport von 20' Standardcontainern und den Einsatz von Ganzzügen, die ähnlich wie Passagierzüge fahren: Sie haben fixe Fahrplänen, wiederholte Fahrten - sogenannte ``Round Trips'' - und mehrfache Stops. Leerfahrten oder schlecht ausgelastete Zugfahrten werden vermieden, indem die geladenen Container auf andere Züge (oder Fahrten) verlagert werden und dadurch gesamte Fahrten weglassen und eingespart werden können.Wir stellen eine formale Problembeschreibung auf, repräsentieren das Problem mit Hilfe eines ``Time-expanded Networks'', lösen es exakt durch die Modellierung eines ``Integer Linear Programs'', und beweisen die Komplexität des MCRP. Wir generieren künstliche Instanzen, um die Performance unseres Ansatzes und die Eigenschaften der Lösungen zu den Instanzen zu untersuchen. Diese beruhen auf einem echten Schienennetzwerk und fundierten Werten aus Literatur und Feedback unseren Projektpartner:innen.Wir untersuchen unseren Algorithmus auf Laufzeit und andere Qualitätskriterien, den Einfluss von Instanz-Parametern auf die Komplexität des Problems und dessen Lösungseigenschaften, und eine einzelne beispielhafte Lösung, um tieferen Einblick in die Lösungsstrukturen unserer Instanzen zu erhalten. Außerdem vergleichen wir die künstlichen Instanzen mit der derzeitigen Praxis und untersuchen die Anwendbarkeit unseres Ansatzes in der Praxis., In times of globalization and climate change, the freight transportation sector faces increasing demand. At the same time, it is responsible for a major part of the energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the European Union. Rail freight transport appears to be one of the best choices when considering economical and ecological aspects.In current practice, two types of rail freight are common: In so-called "wagonload freight", individual trains are composed of individual wagons, while "block trains" have a fixed set of wagons and directly connect their source to their destination without intermediate stops.Wagon load trains allow more flexibility, but the uncoupling and rearranging operations of wagons are rather costly. In this study, we investigate an alternative approach to combine the advantages of both operation techniques and potentially increase the efficiency of the freight sector.We optimize the shipment of individual 20' containers, which are carried by block trains. These block trains operate on fixed schedules with potentially recurring round trips and multiple stops, similar to passenger trains. The idea is to avoid empty runs and underutilized round trips by shifting the respective containers to other trains or round trips. These empty round trips then do not have to take place, hence costs are saved.The corresponding problem is called "Multiple Collaborative Round Trip Problem"(MCRP). It arises in the context of the research project PhysICAL from the point of view of a freight forwarder in collaborative logistics. If the container paths are optimized from a global point of view, the operational cost of the freight forwarder can be reduced. In return, the operator can then offer better prices to its customers.We formally define the MCRP and represent it with the use of a time-expanded network, state an Integer Linear Program (ILP) to solve it in an exact way, and prove the NP-completeness of its decision variant.To investigate and benchmark the problem, we generate a set of artificial instances. They are based on a real-world rail network and connect a subset of ten relevant cities for current rail freight transport in Europe. The individual instance parameters and values are researched or provided by our project partners.We analyze the performance of our algorithm, the hardness of the problem, and the characteristics of the solutions for a variety of instance parameters. We also investigate a single solution in detail to provide deeper insights into the composition of the solutions. At last, we compare our method to the state of the art and draw managerial insight from our results.

Рассматривается проблема построения неэлементарных линейных регрессий, состоящих из объясняющих переменных и всевозможных комбинаций их пар, преобразованных с помощью бинарных операций минимум и максимум. Задача построения таких моделей формализована в виде задачи частично-булевого линейного программирования. Регулируя в ней ограничения на бинарные переменные, можно контролировать структурную спецификацию неэлементарной линейной регрессии, а именно количество входящих в нее регрессоров, их типы и состав объясняющих переменных. При этом оценки параметров модели находятся приближенно с помощью метода наименьших квадратов. К достоинствам сформулированной задачи относится то, что число ее ограничений не зависит от объема выборки, а знаки оценок при объясняющих переменных согласуются со знаками коэффициентов их корреляции с зависимой переменной. Показано, как на начальном этапе отсекать регрессоры, чтобы сократить время решения задачи и сделать модель вполне интерпретируемой. Построена неэлементарная линейная регрессия для моделирования железнодорожных грузоперевозок в Иркутской области и дана ее интерпретация., This paper is devoted to constructing nonelementary linear regressions consisting of explanatory variables and all possible combinations of their pairs transformed using binary minimum and maximum operations. Such models are formalized through a 0-1 mixed integer linear programming problem. By adjusting the constraints on binary variables, we control the structural specification of a nonelementary linear regression, namely, the number of regressors, their types, and the composition of explanatory variables. In this case, the model parameters are approximately estimated using the ordinary least squares method. The formulated problem has advantages: the number of constraints does not depend on the sample size, and the signs of the estimates for the explanatory variables are consistent with the signs of their correlation coefficients with the dependent variable. Regressors are eliminated at the initial stage to reduce the time for solving the problem and make the model quite interpretable. A nonelementary linear regression of rail freight in Irkutsk oblast is constructed, and its interpretation is given., Проблемы управления, Выпуск 4 2022, Pages 3-14

This paper is devoted to constructing nonelementary linear regressions consisting of explanatory variables and all possible combinations of their pairs transformed using binary minimum and maximum operations. Such models are formalized through a 0-1 mixed integer linear programming problem. By adjusting the constraints on binary variables, we control the structural specification of a nonelementary linear regression, namely, the number of regressors, their types, and the composition of explanatory variables. In this case, the model parameters are approximately estimated using the ordinary least squares method. The formulated problem has advantages: the number of constraints does not depend on the sample size, and the signs of the estimates for the explanatory variables are consistent with the signs of their correlation coefficients with the dependent variable. Regressors are eliminated at the initial stage to reduce the time for solving the problem and make the model quite interpretable. A nonelementary linear regression of rail freight in Irkutsk oblast is constructed, and its interpretation is given., Control Sciences, Выпуск 4 2022, Pages 2-11

本稿は，平成30年７月豪雨（西日本豪雨）に伴う広域的な災害発生について，広域に及んだ集中豪雨の降水特性を整理した上で，広島県下で広く発生した土砂災害，及び福山市で発生した河川氾濫やため池の決壊について，その状況や要因を整理・考察した．さらに，JR山陽線の不通に伴う鉄道貨物への影響について，統計データを用いて，その大きさを定量的に分析・考察した． 主たる結果として，土砂災害については，開発許可制度の開発技術基準等は満たしているものの，防災対策への配慮が十分でない市街地が存在することがわかった．さらに，鉄道貨物への影響については，西日本豪雨で影響を受けた区間の貨物量は全貨物量の28.5％であり，その貨物は，中国地方を発着する貨物が約４割，中国地方を通過する貨物が約６割と，中国地方を通過する貨物への影響の方が大きいことが明らかとなった．, In this research, firstly, we compiled the precipitation characteristics of the torrential rain concerning wide-area disasters caused by July 2018 heavy rain (heavy rain in the western Japan). And then, we analyzed the sediment-related disasters widely occurred in Hiroshima prefecture, and analyzed the situation on factors of the river flooding, and analyzed the situation on the crash of the irrigation pond. And more, we analyzed the influence on the rail cargo due to the suspension of the JR Sanyo Line by using statistical data to quantify its size. As a main result, concerning sediment-related disasters, while complying with the development technology standards of the development permission system, disasters may occur in urban areas where consideration for disaster prevention measures is not sufficient. And furthermore, regarding the impact for the rail cargo, the cargo volume of the section affected by the heavy rain disaster is 28.5% of the total cargo amount. Among them, cargo arriving and leaving the Chugoku region accounts for about 40%, and passing through the Chugoku region accounts for about 60%.

Godstransporter på väg förväntas öka avsevärt i framtiden om inga åtgärder vidtas. Politiska beslutfattare är medvetna om att situationen inte är hållbar och föreslår en bättre användning av alternativa transporter, vilket innefattar järnvägstransporter i en intermodal transport. Genom ett intermodalt system går det att uppnå kostnadsbesparingar och ett högre nyttjande av järnvägstransporter eftersom intermodala transporter möjliggör kombinationen av de specifika fördelar som varje transportslag har. Denna studie undersöker befintliga problem med implementeringen av intermodala transporter och vad det finns för alternativa lösningar som potentiellt kan främja intermodala transporter. Studien tar utgångspunkt i tidigare forskning om intermodala transporter och empirisk insamlat material från intervjupersoner inom branschen samt relevant data från rapporter. Det framkommer problem vid omlastningen och vid framkomligheten på järnvägen vilket har en negativ påverkan på kostnaden, tillförlitligheten samt snabbheten av transporten. Det framkommer även att flera transportrelationer och en högre frekvens av tjänster är en förutsättning för att intermodala transporter ska kunna producera kortare transporttider. Utmaningen med flera transportförhållanden i Sverige har varit att nyttjandegraden vid terminaler har varit låg eftersom det inte finns ett tillräckligt högt flöde mellan dessa relationer för att skapa en lönsamhet. Tågoperatörer anser att en högre hastighet och en högre lastvikt skulle innebära en ökad konkurrenskraft på marknaden. En högre hastighet och en högre lastvikt skulle även innebära en högre framkomlighet och en större mängd gods per transport. Omlastningen skulle dock fortfarande påverka tillförlitligheten och flexibiliteten negativt. Studien har undersökt Flexiwaggon som en alternativ intermodal transportlösning som potentiellt kan främja intermodala transporter. Flexiwaggon är likt den alternativa transportlösningen RoLa vars vision är att flytta vägtransporter till järnvägen. Gemensamt för båda lösningar är att främja användandet av intermodala transporter. Flexiwaggon visar potential vid omlastningen på grund av flexibiliteten genom den automatiserade omlastningstekniken. Detta betyder potentiellt besparande på terminal, personal och tillhörande omlastning utrustning. Det som talar emot Flexiwaggon är investeringskostnaden av vagnlösningen. Tågoperatörer investerar ofta i hela tågsätt och skulle behöva byta ut sitt befintliga tågsätt vilket minskar tågoperatörernas incitament för en alternativ intermodal transportlösning som Flexiwaggon eftersom kostnaden blir hög. Road freight transport is expected to increase significantly in the future if no action is taken. Policymakers are aware that the situation is not sustainable and propose better use of alternative transport, which includes rail transport in intermodal transport. An intermodal system makes it possible to achieve cost savings and higher use of rail transport, as intermodal transport enables the combination of the specific advantages of each mode of transport. This study examines existing problems with the implementation of intermodal transport and what alternative solutions exist that could potentially promote intermodal transport. The study is based on previous research on intermodal transport and empirical collected material from interviewees in the industry as well as relevant data from reports. Problems emerge during transhipment and accessibility on the railway, which has a negative impact on the cost, reliability and speed of transport. It also emerges that several transport relationships and a higher frequency of services are a prerequisite for intermodal transport to produce shorter transport times. The challenge with several transport conditions in Sweden has been that the utilization rate at terminals has been low because there is not a sufficiently high flow between these relationships to create profitability. Train operators believe that a higher speed and a higher load weight would mean increased competitiveness in the market. A higher speed and a higher load weight would also mean greater accessibility and a greater amount of goods per transport. However, the transshipment would still have a negative impact on reliability and flexibility. The study has investigated Flexiwaggon as an alternative intermodal transport solution that could potentially promote intermodal transport. Flexiwaggon is similar to the alternative transport solution RoLa whose vision is to move road transport to the railway. Common to both solutions is to promote the use of intermodal transport. Flexiwaggon shows potential in transhipment due to the flexibility of automated transhipment technology. This means potential saving on terminal, personnel and associated transhipment equipment. What speaks against Flexiwaggon is the investment cost of the wagon solution. Train operators often invest in entire trainsets and would need to replace their existing trainset, reducing train operators' incentives for an alternative intermodal transport solution such as Flexiwaggon as the cost is high.

Research relevance. The problem of logistics potential development for the railway transportation companies with a purpose of strengthening its competitive positions is actualized in the conditions of railway transportation market liberalization and deregulation. Purpose: to develop a methodology for railway enterprises logistics potential evaluation by supplementing it with qualitative parameters (by applying the hierarchy analysis model) and thus expanding its scope. In particular, when assessing competitiveness. Methods: the hierarchy analysis model by T. Saati; expert evaluation method; the integral index of competitiveness evaluation method. Conclusions and value added: The enterprises logistics potential evaluation method with hierarchy analysis model usage was further developed. The logistics potential assessment problem is presented in a form of three-tier hierarchy of criteria. The hierarchy consists of eighteen third-level criteria and five second-level criteria, which compose a comprehensive system of indicators for railway enterprise logistics potential assessing. The qualitative parameters were obtained for enterprises logistics potential criteria evaluation. The research with the described method usage allowed to distinguish the components of logistical potential according to their level of importance in terms of strategic priorities for the industry development in general and the target market requirements; and to identify those criteria, the consideration of which will allow to increase the railway transport enterprises competitiveness. This approach expands the enterprise’s logistics potential methodology scope, especially when assessing competitiveness, helps to choose a further strategic direction.

Ein großer Teil der Treibhausgasemissionen entsteht im Verkehrssektor durch Güterverkehr per LKW. Güterverkehr auf der Schiene verursacht hingegen einen geringeren Treibhausgasausstoß pro Tonne, es werden jedoch in Österreich nur 20 % des Gütertransportaufkommens auf der Schiene transportiert. Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich im ersten Teil intensiv mit der Bedeutung von Schienengüterverkehr in Österreich, seiner Entwicklung, Struktur, Zielen und Förderungen sowie rechtlichen Vorgaben. Außerdem werden nachfrageseitig Faktoren zur Standort- und Transportmittelwahl sowie Strukturentwicklungen analysiert. Aus dieser Untersuchung lässt sich die Erkenntnis gewinnen, dass die Transportmittelwahl zwar von mehreren Faktoren bestimmt wird, die Transportkosten jedoch ausschlaggebend sind. Diese sind derzeit auf der Straße geringer als auf der Schiene. Grund dafür sind nicht nur systembedingte Nachteile der Bahn, sondern auch politische und regulatorische Entscheidungen. So gibt es derzeit keine Kostenwahrheit und Bahnstrecken sind zunehmend von Schließungen und einer Ausdünnung des Netzes betroffen. Es stellt sich die Frage, wo sich in Österreich Zonen befinden, die aufgrund der ansässigen Betriebe und der bestehenden Infrastruktur großes Potenzial für die Nutzung von Schienengüterverkehr haben, unabhängig von den im derzeitigen System bestehenden Transportkosten, damit diese Bereiche auch zukünftig mit Bahninfrastruktur erschlossen bleiben. Zu diesem Zweck wird im zweiten Teil der Arbeit ein Modell in der frei verfügbaren Geoinformationssoftware QGIS erstellt, das diese Zonen identifiziert. Die Eingangsparameter sind variabel und können bei veränderter Datenlage und weiteren Erkenntnissen entsprechend angepasst werden. Das erstellte GIS-Modell beruht auf der Annahme, dass eine branchenbedingte Schienenaffinität seitens der Unternehmen besteht. Die Modellanwendung erfolgte im Rahmen der Arbeit für die Ostregion Österreichs, da die Anwendung für das ganze Bundesgebiet eine sehr große Rechenleistung benötigt. Dabei konnten erste Ergebnisse gewonnen und weitere räumliche Analysen durchgeführt werden. Die bisherigen Erkenntnisse und die Datenlage sind jedoch nicht differenziert genug, um mit dem Modell ausschließlich realistische Potenzialgebiete identifizieren zu können. So gibt es einerseits innerhalb der als schienenaffin definierten Branchen auch Unternehmen, die tatsächlich keinen Gütertransport durchführen. Andererseits ist aufgrund der Datenlage bei manchen Unternehmen nur der administrative Hauptsitz, jedoch nicht der produzierende Betriebsstandort in die Berechnung eingeflossen, wodurch es zu Verzerrungen bei den identifizierten Potenzialzonen kommt. Die Arbeit zeigt, dass eine Verortung von Zonen mit Potenzial für Schienengüterverkehrsnutzung mittels GIS möglich ist. Um realistischere Ergebnisse erzielen zu können, sind weitere Forschung bezüglich der Schienenaffinität und genauere räumliche Daten zu produzierenden Betriebsstandorten notwendig. Die Ergebnisse des GIS-Modells können von Schieneninfrastrukturunternehmen bei der künftigen Netzentwicklung, von Ländern und Gemeinden bei der Ausweisung von Betriebs(vorrang)flächen und vom Bund bei der Entscheidung über gesetzliche Vorgaben und Förderungen verwendet werden., A major part of greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector is caused by HGV’s (heavy goods vehicles). Freight transportation by train causes a significantly lower emission of greenhouse gases per ton, but only 20 % of Austria’s freight goes by train. The choice of transport mode is based on various factors, of which one of the most important is cost. This is generally lower for transporting freight by road transport than by rail and is determined by the system of rail, as well as political and legal decisions concerning both freight modes. Those, in general, do not consider the true costs of using HGV’s and the rail sector faces a further decline in the density of the rail network. Considering all these factors, the question arises of where in Austria there are zones which have a high potential for the usage of rail freight, based on existing companies and rail infrastructure. The computation does not consider the current frequency of use. A model in the freely available software tool QGIS (a geoinformation software) has been designed for this purpose. Input parameters are variable and can be selected depending on available data, as well as taking the most recent research into account.The GIS model that was created for this Master’s thesis is based on the assumption, that the likelihood of trains being used for carrying freight varies depending on production segments. The available data as well as previous research has not created an in-depth insight in this area, so that the output does not fully correspond to real potentials on rail freight. On one hand, a range of companies that have been defined as likely to use rail transport due to their segment might not be transporting goods at all. On the other hand, the available data might include administrative sites of specific branches, whilst their manufacturing sites might not be part of the data. The work has shown that the identification of high potential zones for rail freight through a GIS-model is generally possible. To achieve more realistic results, more research needs to be done on which segments have a high likelihood of trains being used for carrying freight. In addition, more precise spatial data on production sites is necessary. The results may be used by railway infrastructure companies for planning their railway network, by provinces and municipalities for regional planning and zoning, and by the state to decide on provisions and subsidies.

The emergence of new technologies and their corresponding applications within intermodal and rail freight terminals enable improvements in efficiency in existing business processes, relieving them of manual activities and enabling higher degree of automation and digitalization. To initiate the next logical step to a higher level of automation in terminals and to reduce the lead-time needed for the identification and verification processes of freight trains, the concept “Intelligent Video Gates” (IVG) is introduced within the framework of the H2020 Shift2Rail initiative and FR8HUB project. The project has been bi-sectional, first describing functional and technical requirements and the selection of components and secondly carrying out a technical proof of concept (PoC) and introducing a roll-out and implementation plan (RIP) within a Swedish and German context. This paper presents the main findings from the project, literature review, survey of similar studies and a case study simulating the expected effects of the concept. QC 20210301

The problem of rail freight traffic volume forecasts using retrospective data, analysis of the impact of external factors on the cargo base and the distribution of goods shipments by transport mode is solved. In order to improve the forecast fidelity proposed the model integrating historical data of freight rail traffic volume and expert assessments of external factors affecting the work of rail transport hasbeen proposed. The structure of historical data, time series of freight traffic volumes, as well as relationship with expert models is described.

Introduction In recent years there have been major changes in the composition of cargo to the point where, in Europe, semi-finished products (e.g. car parts) and finished goods represent the greatest transport demand. This type of cargo is typically of lower density and higher value (LDHV) than previous goods and requires faster and more reliable transportation. Currently, LDHV goods are predominantly transported by road. Methodology This research applies qualitative approach with an online survey consisting of 24 industry experts in assessing the ‘existing’ solutions for competitive rail freight service operation for LDHV cargoes, plus the proposed ‘future’ (i.e. in 7 years’ time). The results are presented in the form of a ‘GAP’ analysis that examined three core themes: ‘wagon’, ‘train and hubs’ and ‘business quality and planning’. Results The study finds that, under the theme of wagon, the provision of an electrical power supply to each individual rail freight wagon is deemed important. In the train and hubs theme, the research suggests that greater importance is assigned to terminal access and functionality, rather than their overall cargo handling capabilities. In the business quality and planning theme, one issue in particular stood out: the ability to freely integrate freight and passenger services; this is considered a key requirement of the railways of the future. Conclusion This research contributes significantly to the field by demonstrating that the desire to transport LDHV goods by rail freight has potential. There are difficulties in integrating freight and passenger services, but technical innovation can allow freight services to operate at similar performance levels to passenger services. This research has identified a number of such technical innovations. It is envisaged that the adoption of these innovations, by the rail industry, will lead to a modal shift from road to rail for the transport of LDHV goods. The analysis suggests that the emerging technologies presented in the survey (e.g. horizontal transhipment) have the capability to promote modal shift by directly strengthening the rail freight service offering, as an alternative to less sustainable modes such as road. Finally the research is revelatory in that this topic has not been addressed by academia nor the industry previously, and has identified future research gaps and questions with potential impact that researchers can look to answer in the future.

This paper offers a simulation model for analysing the utilization levels of a section of a railway line between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street. Specifically, a segment of this line situated in the urban area of Edinburgh has been simulated using SIMUL8 to study the impacts of further inclusion of freight trains on the scheduled passenger trains. The utilisation levels of this segment have been observed in three scenarios: utilisation existing state where all scheduled passenger trains and a few freight trains are observed; utilisation in future state where more freight trains are input in available time gaps running at their actual speed; and utilisation future state where freight trains are input in available time gaps running at speed equivalent to a passenger train. A decomposition approach is implemented. The results suggest that extra freight trains can be input into the current timetables without impeding the current scenario, allowing a reasonable increase in utilisation of the rail line.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative, announced in late 2013, includes the construction of land-based transport connections between Asia and Europe, the creation of an economic belt for Eurasian cooperation, and maritime routes between China and all continents with which it may trade. Within the European Union, it will interact with infrastructure and services provided in the private sector, by the Member States, and by the European Union including through the Trans-European Transport Network programme. This paper focuses on the scope for rail services between China and Europe to attract freight currently travelling by sea and air, and the resulting changes in relative accessibility and competitive attractiveness of different maritime and landlocked regions of Europe. It estimates that, by 2040, 3 million TEU of freight between the Far East and Europe might travel by rail, comprising 2.5 million TEU from sea and 0.5 million TEU from air. While it concludes that it is not possible to predict whether and where these transfers will require changes to the Trans-European Transport Network programme, it describes recommendations on how the programme should take the Belt and Road Initiative into account.

The objective of this paper is to investigate the factors that affect the performance of rail freight and to ascertain the magnitude of the resulting effects. A multiple linear regression model was developed with panel data analysis, considering the fixed effects over time. The data collected correspond to the period from 2011 to 2018 and come from the National Land Transportation Agency (ANTT). The explanatory variables used are: speed, maintenance, accidents and cargo volume (production). After formulating and executing the model, the obtained indices were tested for statistical significance. We attempted to attenuate heteroscedastic errors by calculating robust standard errors and performed a model specification test. It was detected that the volume of cargo transported and speed of the train have a statistically relevant impact on performance. The model developed showed no evidence of poor specification and can assist in the planning of the activities of the observed companies. El objetivo de este trabajo es investigar los factores que afectan el rendimiento del transporte ferroviario y determinar la magnitud de los efectos resultantes. Se desarrolló un modelo de regresión lineal múltiple con análisis de datos de panel, considerando los efectos fijos a lo largo del tiempo. Los datos recolectados corresponden al período de 2011 a 2018 y provienen de la Agencia Nacional de Transporte Terrestre (ANTT). Las variables explicativas utilizadas son: velocidad, mantenimiento, accidentes y volumen de carga (producción). Después de formular y ejecutar el modelo, los índices obtenidos se probaron para determinar su significación estadística. Tratamos de atenuar los errores heteroscedásticos calculando errores estándar robustos y realizamos una prueba de especificación del modelo. Se encontró que el volumen de carga transportada y la velocidad del tren tenían un impacto estadísticamente significativo en el rendimiento. El modelo desarrollado no presentó pruebas de una especificación deficiente y puede ayudar a planificar las actividades de las empresas observadas. O objetivo deste trabalho é investigar os fatores que afetam o desempenho do transporte ferroviário de cargas e averiguar a magnitude dos efeitos decorrentes. Para isso, elaborou-se um modelo de regressão linear múltipla com análise de dados em painel, considerando os efeitos fixos ao longo do tempo. Os dados coletados correspondem ao período de 2011 a 2018 e advêm da Agência Nacional de Transporte Terrestres (ANTT). As variáveis explicativas utilizadas são: velocidade, manutenções, acidentes e volume de carga (produção). Após formulação e execução do modelo, os índices obtidos foram testados quanto à significância estatística. Buscou-se atenuar erros heterocedásticos por meio do cálculo dos erros-padrão robustos e realizou-se um teste de especificação do modelo. Detectou-se que o volume de carga transportada e velocidade do trem possuem um impacto estatisticamente relevante sobre o desempenho. O modelo desenvolvido não apresentou evidência de má especificação e pode auxiliar no planejamento das atividades das empresas observadas.

This paper analyzes the effects of emerging technologies in intermodal terminals and marshallingyards, based on “Intelligent Video Gate” project within the H2020 – Shift2Rail initiative. Projectaim is to initiate the next logical step to a higher level of automation in terminals and to reduce thelead-time needed for the identification/verification process of freight trains. Thesis projectexamine different emerging technologies that could be applied in intermodal terminal automationand possibilities for their application in different processes. Technologies considered in researchare RFID, cameras, scanners, sensors, GPS and scales. Marshalling yard as important freight nodeon railway network is included in research, where departing processes are examined, andtechnology proposed for automation of brake test procedures.Qualitative research is used as a method to investigate current processes in intermodal terminaland marshalling yards. This research included all the processes from train arrival to the terminal,through transshipment processes and train departure from the terminal. Research also conducteddifferent steps which Intermodal Transport Units go through during operations in intermodalterminal. Knowing processes enabled next step in qualitative research, finding the opportunitiesfor improvements in operations. Third step in qualitative research investigated different emergingtechnologies and as a result gave opportunities and obstacles behind each of technologies.Complementing findings from qualitative research, model simulation is performed, based onoperations in Malmö Kombiterminal. Intermodal terminal operations are simulated in Planimate®software. Addition to the qualitative research is finding the opportunities for improvements inmarshalling yards and proposing emerging technology that could be applied.Master thesis successfully accomplished the task of finding the effects of emerging technologiesin intermodal terminals and marshalling yards. The methodology concluded to be appropriate onefor building task solution. The project is viewed as a breakthrough in this domain but theexpectations for Intelligent Video Gate should stay realistic and proceeded carefully. Eliminationof brake test in marshalling yards is also very optimistic goal but should be followed by appropriatesafety rules and regulations. Simulation of complex systems such as intermodal terminals andmarshalling yards is the task that should be supported by accurate and detailed data, in order tokeep the model and results more realistic.

This paper focuses on the resilience of rail freight operations when affected by extreme weather events. Such events, most likely linked to climate change, are becoming more common and it is vital to mitigate their effects on freight transport activity. Based on a British case study of rail network disruption resulting from a key line closure in early-2016, the analysis considers the impacts on rail freight service provision and the wider supply chains. Following a review of the relevant literature, the case study is analysed using data from a combination of sources including an annual rail freight database, open access real-time train running data, observation surveys and stakeholder interviews. This reveals widespread consequences of the disruption, with fewer freight trains operated than normal, and longer and less punctual journeys for those which ran. However, despite the considerable disruption during the period of the line closure itself, there has been no discernible long-term impact on the rail freight flows which were impacted by the closure. The insight provided by the analysis is used to make a series of recommendations to the rail industry and policy makers.

The Orient/East-Med Corridor, connecting central and southeastern Europe, provides important business potential for European rail freight. However, freight transport by rail faces a number of challenges in terms of quality, cost competitiveness, service features and political/societal acceptance and support. A particular challenge is the slow implementation of a truly Single European Rail Area, leading to high costs and time losses at borders. As a response to this, so-called EU Rail Freight Corridors (RFCs) have been set up, one of them being the Orient/East-Med RFC No. 7, established in November 2013 and aiming at better cross-border coordination and cooperation in the field of infrastructure and traffic management and improved customer orientation and involvement of corridor users. Key features of the Rail Freight Corridors are strong governance structures with clearly defined tasks. Among the early positive effects are the elaboration and testing of new solutions for cross-border processes, better coordination in timetable planning and the setting up of cross-border working groups, bringing relevant actors together to address specific issues. At the same time there is room for further improvement both conceptually and in terms of the corridor geography. The establishment of two further Rail Freight Corridors in the region, the Alpine-Western Balkan RFC No. 10 and the Amber RFC No. 11 closes some remaining gaps in the network of corridors. Im Orient/East-Med Corridor, der Mittel- und Südosteuropa verbindet, steckt ein wichtiges kommerzielles Potenzial für den europäischen Schienengüterverkehr. Der Schienengüterverkehr in Europa steht jedoch vor einer Reihe von Herausforderungen in Bezug auf Qualität, Kostenwettbewerbsfähigkeit, Leistungsmerkmale sowie politische/ gesellschaftliche Akzeptanz und Unterstützung. Eine besondere Herausforderung ist die nur schleppende Umsetzung eines wirklich einheitlichen europäischen Eisenbahnraums, was zu hohen Kosten und Zeitverlusten an den Grenzen führt. Als Reaktion hierauf wurden sogenannte EU Schienengüterverkehrskorridore (Rail Freight Corridors = RFCs) geschaffen, darunter der im November 2013 eingerichtete Orient/East-Med RFC Nr. 7, der auf eine bessere grenzüberschreitende Koordination und Zusammenarbeit im Bereich Infrastruktur und Verkehrsmanagement sowie eine verbesserte Kundenorientierung und Einbindung der Nutzer der Korridore abzielt. Hauptmerkmale der Schienengüterverkehrskorridore sind effektive Verwaltungsstrukturen mit klar definierten Aufgaben. Zu den bereits feststellbaren positiven Effekten gehören die Erarbeitung und Erprobung neuer Lösungen für grenzüberschreitende Prozesse, eine bessere Koordinierung der Fahrpläne und die Einrichtung von grenzüberschreitenden Arbeitsgruppen, die relevante Akteure an einen Tisch bringen, um spezifische Probleme anzugehen. Gleichzeitig gibt es sowohl konzeptionell als auch in Bezug auf die Geographie der Korridore Raum für weitere Verbesserungen. Die Einrichtung von zwei weiteren Schienengüterverkehrskorridoren in der Region, dem Alpine-Western Balkan RFC No. 10 und dem Amber RFC No. 11, schließt einige verbleibende Lücken im Korridornetz.

This study analyzes the maturity of three rail freight Logistics Service Providers (LSPs) in Brazil in a population of seven operators. After an exploratory review of the existing literature and research documents, a structured questionnaire based on the Supply Chain Capability Maturity Model S(CM)2 was applied. The study measured an overall average level, given in S(CM)2, as Managed, meaning that the managerial development standard of the logistics agents was at an intermediate level. The results showed that maturity was related to the size of the LSP and the complexity of the organizational management. These findings can support the development of policies and strategies for the improvement and adoption of practices that best lead to gains in competitiveness for both LSPs and the Supply Chains (SCs) that require their services.

Moving more freight by rail and waterways would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, truck-induced congestion, and noise pollution and contribute to the integrated logistics that are now a hallmark of global supply chains. The timing for the shift is right, because many emerging economies are making significant investments in railways and shippers are responding to public sentiment to reduce the negative impacts of road-related logistics. In the past, most railway organizations adopted a “build and they shall come” approach, modeled on the proposition that lower rail transportation costs would inevitably lead to modal shift. That approach is no longer viable. Successful railways now focus on understanding the logistics of targeted freight and positioning rail transport services as part of an overall logistics system aimed at meeting customers’ needs. By responding to new trends in logistics and partnering with road haulers, port operators, forwarders, intermodal terminal operators, and third-party logistics companies to provide the seamless service delivery required by changing supply chains, rail freight organizations in Europe and North America have regained modal share or reversed a trend of falling shares. Emerging economies can learn from their experience. The Rail Freight Challenge for Emerging Economies presents examples and lessons of good (and not-so-good) practice. It summarizes what successful rail freight organizations have done to increase market share and provides options for policy makers. The report is intended not to prescribe solutions but to inform decisions and broaden the discussion of options open to policy makers and senior officials in rail organizations in their country contexts.

Objective Previous studies have suggested an upward growth trend in low density, high value (LDHV) goods in Europe. Such goods require time sensitive, reliable services and currently, most LDHV goods are transported by road. The paper presents the findings of four case studies which detail the barriers and enablers to intermodal rail services for transporting LDHV goods. Methodology We applied a methodological pluralism, quantitative and qualitative, on an inductive basis. Using a case study approach, the research investigates the requirements of shippers, identifies key barriers to intermodal rail service offerings and, based on the findings, suggests enablers for intermodal rail freight transport. The current research applies parallel top down and bottom up streams, with a final integration synthesis. Findings Terminals may appear as an important barrier or enabler towards achieving a competitive intermodal rail service. By making rail terminal as an enabler, the research suggests that it is possible to carry LDHV goods by intermodal rail in a cost-efficient manner. The research attempts to seek a potential innovative solution to the barriers identified. The research compares road with an intermodal rail-road solution, in terms of cost and time, for a door-to-door service along the selected routes/corridors. Recommendation The research recommends that technical solutions, such as automated transhipment and temperature controlled systems, are required for rail freight services for LDHV goods, but that they must be complemented by collaborative operational solutions and viable service planning for an intermodal rail transport service to be reliable and competitive with road transport.

The article presents a novel wagon concept that integrates innovative solutions relating to the identified major challenges for the freight vehicles of the future, namely: i. cargo condition monitoring; ii. Lightweight wagon design; and iii. Predictive maintenance. These three essential areas are addressed by three subsequent work streams of the INNOWAG project, which is funded by the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking under the EU’s H2020 programme. INNOWAG aims to respond to major rail freight competitiveness challenges regarding the increase of transport capacity, logistic capacity and improved RAMS and lower LCC, by developing an autonomous self-powered sensor system for cargo tracing and monitoring, along with a predictive maintenance approach to enable efficient use of both condition monitoring and historical data for further implementation of predictive models and tools in freight vehicle maintenance, and to integrate the aforementioned innovations on a novel concept of modular and lightweight wagon, developed through an optimised structural design using lightweight materials.

The article presents an investigation of current market trends and customers’ requirements, which have driven research aimed at developing a novel wagon concept that integrates innovative solutions relating to the identified major challenges for the freight vehicles of the future. These challenges are: i. Freight condition monitoring; ii. Lightweight wagon design; and iii. Predictive maintenance. This research was initiated by the INNOWAG project, which is funded by the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking under the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. The major challenges in rail freight competitiveness relate to the increasing complexity and sophistication of supply chains, increasing transport capacity and logistic capability, as well as improving RAMS and lowering LCC. Therefore, the goal is to develop intelligent cargo monitoring and predictive maintenance solutions integrated on a novel concept of lightweight wagon.

Classification yards play an important role in railroad networks for operating single wagonload transportation. Here, inbound trains are disassembled, the rail cars are sorted and then assembled to form outbound trains. The efficient and resource-conserving operation of shunting yards has a profound impact on the quality and profitability of single wagonload rail freight services. Preparing production schedules for classification yards that ensure punctuality and efficiency is a challenging task that becomes even harder with the specification of customer-oriented, digital supported transportation plans for each wagon. Against this background we introduce a decision support approach that helps yard managers to find optimal schedules for the resource allocation in the yard. The main component is an optimization approach that involves time constraints and capacity restrictions as well as an objective function that represents goals depending on planning level. At the strategic level of planning, these goals are determined by the utilization of resources (e.g. engines, staff, tracks). However, during the operation, including ad-hoc disturbances, it is useful to minimize the loss of quality instead (e.g. tardiness, missing connections). Besides the mathematical formulation of the problem we discuss solution methods, introduce an optimization framework and outline computational results that show the economical potential. Furthermore, we discuss the opportunities of real-time control and outline the path towards fully automated classification yards. With this work we support the transforming process of the railway freight transport system to meet the prospective challenges in the digital era.

The work presented in the framework of this doctoral thesis concerns the problem of the tarpaulins tearing off of semi-trailers conveyed by the motorways network. Indeed, the turbulent phenomena generated around such a convoy cause large pressure fluctuations on the walls, resulting in high amplitude movements leading to breakage over long periods of stress. This phenomenon can cause several types of incidents for the operator of the network (ignition by catenary contact, train delay, loss of goods,...), it is necessary to understand the physical phenomena involved and to define a flow control solution that take into account the rail industry constraints. To do this, an experimental and numerical study of the flow around a two-dimensional forward facing step configuration was carried out in order to characterize the influence of the different separated zones on the wall pressure fluctuations induced downstream of the step. For this purpose, a series of velocity field and wall pressure measurements were carried out in the Lamih wind tunnel. The experimental results could be compared with those obtained by a numerical approach under the same conditions. The flow analysis focused mainly on two points. The first concerns the dynamics of the recirculation zones interacting with the shear layer. A stochastic approach has been used, and has made it possible to highlight the dominant mechanisms at the origin of the phenomenon. The second point concerns the dynamical links between these mechanisms and the wall pressure fluctuations. A modal approach, based on an extended orthogonal decomposition, revealed the important contribution of the low frequencies in this case. Finally, a passive control solution (deflector) was tested and showed that the low frequency mechanisms suppression provide a wall pressure gain up to 36 % depending on configurations., Les travaux présentés dans le cadre de cette thèse de doctorat concernent la problématique d’arrachement de bâches de semi-remorques convoyés par le réseau d’autoroutes ferroviaires. En effet, les phénomènes turbulents générés autour d’un tel convoi provoquent d’importantes fluctuations de pression sur les parois bâchées, entrainant des mouvements de forte amplitude menant à la rupture sur de longues périodes de sollicitation. Ce phénomène pouvant provoquer plusieurs types d’incidents pour l’exploitant du réseau (embrasement par contact caténaire, retard des trains, perte de marchandise, etc...), il est nécessaire de comprendre les phénomènes physiques mis en jeu et de dégager une solution de contrôle de l’écoulement satisfaisant les contraintes de l’industrie ferroviaire. Pour ce faire, une étude expérimentale et numérique de l’écoulement autour d’une configuration bidimensionnelle de marche montante a été réalisée afin de caractériser l’influence des différentes zones décollées sur les fluctuations de pression pariétale induites en aval de la marche. A cet effet, une série de mesures de champs de vitesse et de pression pariétale ont été réalisées dans la soufflerie du Lamih. Les résultats observés expérimentalement ont pu être confrontés à ceux obtenus par une approche numérique dans des conditions équivalentes. L’analyse de l’écoulement s’est principalement focalisée sur deux points. Le premier concerne la dynamique des zones de recirculation en interaction avec la couche de cisaillement. Une approche stochastique a été déployée, et a permis de mettre en évidence les mécanismes prépondérants à l’origine du phénomène. Le second point porte sur les liens entretenus entre ces mécanismes et les fluctuations de pression pariétale. Une approche modale, basée sur une décomposition orthogonale aux valeurs propres étendue, a permis de révéler l’importante contribution des basses fréquences dans ce cas de figure. Enfin, une solution de contrôle passive (déflecteur) a été testée et a permis de montrer que la suppression de ces mécanismes basse fréquence permet d’obtenir un gain en termes de pression pariétale pouvant aller jusqu’à 36% selon les configurations.

The weakness of logistic governance is often underlinedat the European and national scale on the one hand and at the metropolitan scale on the other hand. Regional scale is more rarely mentioned and questioned. French institutional regions don’t benefit fromclear competences in the field of logistics. They still conduct various actions linked to logistic issues through both their economic and transportation competences. During the past decades, most of the Regions have invested these fields in order to support some local economic sectors or to improve the efficiency of railway and harbor infrastructures. Few have tried to create a strategic policy with mid-term objectives like modal shift by promoting projects as a rolling motorway. Before the fusion of French regions, the South West of France was composed of five administrative entities which policies in the field of logistic were quite different. The regions of Aquitaine and Languedoc-Roussillon had strong ambitions of modal shift due to the existence of a strong freight corridor and to the presence of regional harbors. On the opposite, Midi-Pyrénées and Limousin which are geographically more isolated, led more local and sectorial policies. The weakness of the local industry and of the production and the lack of a major harbor explain why logistic issues were focused on transit facilities. The territorial reform of 2016 has reduced their number from five to two and has also reorganized some of their competences concerning railway infrastructures. The two factors incline the new regions, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie, to define a more ambitious strategy on logistic issues. Railway freight constitutes the major part of this strategy with the will of sustaining modal shift. However, this new ambition is limited by the lack of cooperation among actors at the national and European level. The first logistical projects led by the Region after the fusion are concentrated at a very local scale with a shortline railway infrastructure. The Region tries to overtake a territorial leadership and to overstep the simple counter role with the other territorial collectivities. Eventually, they promote new forms of governance to sustain the routine maintenance of infrastructures., Si les faiblesses de la gouvernance du secteur logistique sont fréquemment évoquées aux échelles européennes, nationales ou métropolitaines, l’action des collectivités régionales dans ce domaine est plus rarement questionnée. Bien qu’elles ne possèdent pas de compétences clairement définies dans le transport de marchandises, les régions sont impliquées à des degrés divers dans des projets touchant à des enjeux logistiques. Durant les dernières décennies, la plupart d’entre elles se sont ainsi contentées d’opérations opportunistes pour répondre à des intérêts localisés en lien avec une filière économique, le soutien à un port ou des investissements dans le réseau ferroviaire. D’autres se sont montrées plus volontaristes et ont esquissé de véritables stratégies à moyen terme. Les cinq régions qui composent le grand Sud-Ouest français avant la fusion régionale de 2016 sont à ce titre caractéristiques de la diversité de ces interventions au sein d’un espace où les enjeux logistiques restent modestes. La dernière réforme territoriale, en modifiant aussi bien les périmètres que les compétences des Régions a conduit les deux nouvelles entités à réinterroger leurs actions en matière de transport de marchandises. Le fret ferroviaire constitue ainsi un levier privilégié d’intervention afin de favoriser le report modal. Si une stratégie globale se dessine, sa concrétisation reste sujette à de nombreuses incertitudes liées aux faiblesses de la gouvernance de ce secteur aux échelles nationales et européennes.Cela conduit les deux Régions considérées à donner la priorité à une approche par les infrastructures

IVT Schriftenreihe, 178, ISBN:978-3-905826-42-5

In the last decade freight transport has gained further momentum in Australia, partly through significant demand growth at both domestic and international levels and partly as the result of Australia's long term need for infrastructure decision making. Amongst the freight task, non-bulk freight is the fastest growing freight task in Australia and is forecast to grow much faster than the rate of population growth and the average national GDP growth. However, rail's share in the non-bulk market has declined significantly in the last four decades. This study therefore provides an insight into the efficiency and operational management issues facing by the Australian non-bulk rail sector by focusing on three areas; the level of track compatibility and the relevant operational issues, the demographics of non-bulk freight in Australia and the current status of intermodal terminals in relation to rail connectivity and location. As the result, a more detailed understanding of the current shortages in the Australian non-bulk rail freight sector is achieved and managerial implications are provided.

International audience; The starting point of this article is the weak usage of rail freight in Belgium and Europe, both as a sustainable mode of land transportation in itself as well as a part of the intermodal chain. The results are obtained by transversal research on rail freight transport in Belgium, taking into account the European context. This interdisciplinary research develops a road map for the creation of three integrated scenarios: a best case, medium case and worst case scenario for rail freight development, based on a detailed SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities, threats) analysis. It includes the most probable future developments for rail freight transport and hinterland connections. These developments are obtained from literature review and discussions with a heterogeneous panel of experts in the fields of (i) optimal corridor and hub development, (ii) macroeconomic impact, (iii) sustainability, (iv) effective market regulation and (v) governance and organization for a well-functioning intermodality. The Delphi approach is used in combination with a survey analysis. Frequency tables and the H-index allow defining a ranking and selection of SWOT elements. The obtained scenarios allow future research to quantify and measure the impact of future developments and decisions towards the Belgian rail freight market.

This article presents a fuzzy-logic controlled genetic algorithm designed for the solution of the crew-scheduling problem in the rail-freight industry. This problem refers to the assignment of train drivers to a number of train trips in accordance with complex industrial and governmental regulations. In practice, it is a challenging task due to the massive quantity of train trips, large geographical span and significant number of restrictions. While genetic algorithms are capable of handling large data sets, they are prone to stalled evolution and premature convergence on a local optimum, thereby obstructing further search. In order to tackle these problems, the proposed genetic algorithm contains an embedded fuzzy-logic controller that adjusts the mutation and crossover probabilities in accordance with the genetic algorithm’s performance. The computational results demonstrate a 10% reduction in the cost of the schedule generated by this hybrid technique when compared with a genetic algorithm with fixed crossover and mutation rates.

The article deals with the development of the new paradigm of the European rail freight system predominantly suitable for the feeder lines (market niches). Taking into consideration the so far adopted legal solutions of the EU Commission for internationalisation (liberalisation) of the European railway system, the concept of the new rail freight model was developed in order to contribute to the increase of the quality, as well as to the growth of the volume of the rail freight services in Europe. Based on the findings about the disadvantages of the existing rail freight paradigm, the new solution consisting of the three interrelated and interconnected subsystems: institutional, technical/technological and organisational, is proposed. New liberalised access to the entire European rail infrastructure network will increase the competition and most probably attract new railway freight service providers. The introduction of the suggested innovative solutions in form of small, self-propelled, bi-directional train formation that can be automatically coupled and decoupled and equipped with the innovative loading and unloading equipment (enabling loading/unloading operations wherever the truck can stay parallel to the train), is to be expected predominantly on the feeder lines (market niches) of the European railways. Članek obravnava predlog novega modela železniškega tovornega prometa, ki je prvenstveno primeren za stranske železniške proge (za tržne niše) na evropskih železnicah. Upoštevajoč sprejete pravne ukrepe Evropske komisije za pospešeno internacionaliziranje (liberalizacijo) evropskega železniškega sistema, smo razvili modelno zasnovo novega možnega sistema tovornega prometa, ki bi dvignil kvaliteto železniških storitev in prispeval k rasti obsega prepeljanega tovora na evropskih žcleznicah. Na osnovi analize slabosti prevladujočega obstoječega modela železniškega tovornega prometa v Evropi smo za oblikovanje novega združili spoznanja iz treh medsebojno povezanih in soodvisnih podsistemov: institucionalnega (pravnega), tehnično-tehnološkega in organizacijskega. Nov svoboden dostop na celotno evropsko železniško infrastrukturno omrežje bo gotovo povečal konkurenco in pritegnil nove ponudnike železniških prevoznih storitev. Realno je pričakovati uvedbo (novega modela) združenih parcialnih inovativnih rešitev obliki kratkih, v obe smeri voznih vlakov z lastnim pogonom, ki se lahko samodejno priklapljajo in razklapljajo in so opremljeni z inovativo nakladalno/razkladalno opremo, ki lahko izvaja operacije natovarjanja in raztovarjanja kjerkoli na železniški progi lahko vzporedno stojita vlak in tovornjak. Nov model bo prišel do izraza predvsem na stranskih železniških progah (pokrivanje tržnih niš) evropskih železnic.

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.

Purpose This paper opts for a time varying approach to measure the competition on the European rail freight sector according to two questions: what is the current level of competition and how is this expected to evolve in the long run? Approach A firm-level dynamic panel estimates the persistence of profit in the European rail freight sector. Main findings The persistence of profits shows a high degree of competition in the short run but imperfect in the long run due to the existence of barriers on the market. Secondly, the ratio between capital and labour cost is calculated. It indicates moderate economies of scale. Originality Knowledge about this new market and the dynamics are limited in the academic literature. The research is relevant for the policy makers to monitor the rail freight market and to harmonise the practices between network managers to improve the European single market.

The objective of this paper is to examine and identify barriers to and enablers for the European rail freight transport services as a transport chain partner along the supply chains in the changing market scenario. The changing market scenario includes, among others, requiring 'door-to-door' rather than 'terminal to terminal' and integrated service, competitive ability to attract non-rail cargo type, changes in the customer requirements (e.g. reliable service) and changes in the operational requirements and practices. Using a literature review method, the paper is presented in two parts. The part 1 focuses on the identification of barriers to the European rail freight service by reviewing freight logistics services for global supply chains followed by the current performance of European rail freight transport followed by a discussion on the rail freight market liberalisation in Europe. Then rail freight transport in the Unites States (U.S.) is discussed. The research notes that although the background, scope and necessity for reform measures in Europe differ from those of the U.S., some lessons can be learned and the main lesson is that an appropriate reform measure can enhance rail sector competitive ability in Europe. Examining and identifying the barriers in the part 1 (with the pan-Pacific examples of rail freight transports), the part 2 of the paper focuses on recommending clear actions and steps as enablers for the rail freight industry in general and operators in particular. The research in part 1 of the paper finds that: • In many European countries, the rail freight market is not fully liberalised. In such market segment, infrastructure managers do act independently for incumbents and new entrant operators that hamper the progress of building a competitive market; • The rail operators have not yet achieved the service quality (e.g. customer tailored service) needed for the modern supply chains; • They operate ‘terminal-to-terminal’ but modern supply chain needs door-to-door service; • They act primarily for the ‘terminal-to-terminal’ chain; but modern supply chain needs total transport chain; not a part of it.

Rail transport is a very important type of transport. Due to its environmentally friendly nature it is necessary to dedication him considerable attention. The article stated the need for the implementation of innovative solutions for wagons. This article presents precondition to increase market share of rail freight. Considerations that must be met by modern rail transport were presented in details. The main focus was on provide assumptions to implement innovative wagons and their areas of influence.

Purpose: Swiss Split is a rail service in Switzerland which distributes containers via conventional shunting yards directly from intermodal terminals to the final recipients’ sidings by rail. Today’s Swiss Split service is quite successful, but it still has several weaknesses that reduce its competitiveness compared to container distribution by truck. Thus, the two main research questions were: Which feasible improvements for container distribution by rail can be determined? In how far do these improvements increase the competitiveness of container distribution by rail compared to container distribution by truck? Methods: The research bases on previous analyses regarding the weaknesses of container distribution by rail in Switzerland. For each of the identified weaknesses, suitable improvements were developed. The effects of these improvements were supposed to have an impact on the efficiency and the quality of the services. The improvements were then assessed by applying a cost model for rail freight and truck transportation. For this purpose, today’s Swiss Split was modelled in a base case and the input data for the cost model (e.g., round trips per day for wagons, routing for the transports, train length and train utilisation) were changed according to the estimated effects of the improvements. To finally estimate the impact of the improvements on the SWL production schemes, an agent based simulation for SWL was developed and applied. Results: The analysis of today’s Swiss Split distribution by rail showed weaknesses in the fields of rolling stock, transhipment terminal structures and the production schemes for SWL. Thus, a new container wagon has been developed to serve the sidings. The terminal structure has been improved by a new gateway terminal. The production schemes for SWL have been improved by applying a train-coupling-and-sharing network structure and an improved schedule structure for SWL trains. An agent based simulation software for rail freight has been developed to assess the improvements in the production scheme. At last, the new business model for Swiss Split has led to an integration of transhipment processes and rail distribution. In sum all of these measures have resulted in significant cost reductions for the container distribution by rail. Conclusions: The breakeven distance for Swiss Split compared to truck container distribution has been decreased from 140 to 70 km. Hence, using SWL for final distribution has proofed to be competitive to trucking even for rather short distances. This shows that rail freight can be competitive compared to road transportation if a holistic approach which tackles all weaknesses of the existing services is applied., European Transport Research Review, 8 (4), ISSN:1867-0717, ISSN:1866-8887

The total demand for freight transport in Europe has increased significantly in recent decades, but most of it has been handled by road transport. To fulfil the modal shift targets set in the EU White Paper 2011, it will be necessary to double rail’s market share from today’s 18 %, by 2050. Translating this into reality means rail will have to handle 3 to 4 times the cargo volume it does today. With this in mind, the paper develops a vision of an efficient rail freight system in 2050. To achieve the above objective, the research applies literature survey and group discussion methodology and applying a system approach. Keeping on board the EU Transport White Paper 2011 modal shift targets, as well as future freight demand and customer requirements, the current research attempts to answer the following three critical questions: The authors find that the service quality can be improved by better planning, application of appropriate ICT-systems and adoption of an integrated supply chain approach. A more customer-orientated service can also be achieved by further deregulation of rail. There is also an urgent need for a faster implementation of Rail Freight Corridors (RFC). As well as liner trains, future rail freight services should be offering end-point trains, with semi/ fully automated loading/unloading equipment in hub-terminals, as well as terminals at sidings to improve the availability of intermodal operation. To offer a competitive price and reliable service, a reduction in operating costs will be vital by implementing a number of measures, including operation of heavier and longer trains, wider loading gauge, higher average speed, and better utilisation of wagon space and all assets. This will bring increased capacity, as well as better timetable planning, signalling systems and infrastructure improvements.

International audience; The present paper discusses an alternative way of transporting freight by using urban rail infrastructure. Instead of deploying trucks for the transport of goods, we study the possibility of using existing suburban rail. As a first contribution, several decision-making problems are identified dealing with urban freight. In this paper, the addressed problem deals with a commuter line on which each station can be used as a loading/unloading platform for goods such as demand (goods boxes) is known in advance. As a second contribution, a Mixed Integer Linear Program (MILP) model is proposed to minimize the total waiting time of daily deliveries such that each box is transported from its departure station to its arrival station. Numerical results show that the model is able to solve moderate size instances in very short amount of time.

This report explores the sectors that will be instrumental for positive CU impact and competitiveness in the medium term. The initial chapter analyzes the gaps and opportunities the Kyrgyz NQI presents for capturing benefits of access to the enlarged common market across sectors. The next three chapters take an in-depth look at three high-growth sectors and identify adaptation priorities and opportunities. Agriculture, services, and garments are a large and growing share of exports and are the sectors most likely to be transformed by accession to the CU and the increased tariffs to countries outside the EEU. Services added 56 percent to GDP in 2013, while agriculture contributed 18 percent, and manufacturing 16 percent. Exports in the garment sector were close to US$200 million in 2013, employing over 150,000 workers. The main findings of each chapter are summarized below followed by a summary of recommendations. This report is relevant to the Kyrgyz experience as it highlights important differences both in terms of regulations and technical requirements. The report highlights differences between the EU and CU regulatory systems in approaches to food safety and legislation, but it also analyzes the differences in infrastructure aspects of the NQI, such as testing laboratories and certification mechanisms between the EU and CU. The Customs Union approach is based on end-product compliance to a specific technical regulation or standard, whereas the European Union relies on preventive measures and minimizing risks associated with each process throughout the complete food chain. In the CU food control system, food control bodies verify that the end-product meets the required technical specifications established by the government; in the EU system, end-product attributes such as size, color, shape, smell, and taste are generally left to the marketplace to judge if they are acceptable. Importantly, the report pinpoints specific technical requirements for EU food safety that differ from the CU requirements (microbiological criteria for foodstuff, contaminants in food; maximum residue limits for residues of pesticides, and pharmacologically active substances).

International audience; The development of rail freight is central to the European Union's transportation policy. As it has been the case for road and air transport and for other network industries (e.g. energy and telecommunications), deregulation and market opening have been the main policy options chosen by EU to promote rail freight. But rail freight is still facing a doubly-imperfect competition. On one hand, the intermodal competition is off balance between road and rail. On the other hand, intra-modal competition between railway operators is imperfect. Railway operators are not all alike, major companies exist and they play a structuring role that regulation must take into account. According to the HHI (Hirschman Herfindahl Index) the market structure is still characterised by a strong concentration. Therefore, the key roles played by the major companies as well as, in some countries, the remaining action of the state, have to be addressed, since both of them represent some of the key features of imperfect competition in the rail sector. Numerous entry barriers remain and market power manifest itself in many areas of rail freight. This should be given special attention by regulators or competition authorities. National regulators should also communicate with one another, as they will be confronted with major companies’ market power.

Transport and logistics infrastructure is a critical determinant of the competitiveness of a country's producers and exporters. Well-functioning transport and logistics infrastructure relies not just on hardware, but critically on the operating environment that emerges from the interaction between private sector operators; national policies and regulatory regimes; and, in many countries, state-owned owners and operators of core infrastructure. This paper looks at the case of South Africa, where constraints in access, pricing, reliability, and network interfaces, particularly in the port and rail network, are eroding the competitiveness of South African exporters. The paper draws on interviews with a wide range of exporters along with secondary research to examine South Africa's port and rail network, and explores the underlying factors contributing to these constraints, including chronic underinvestment, an inadequate regulatory environment, insufficient private sector participation, and weak regional integration. The paper concludes with a review of the reforms needed to deliver a more broadly accessible and competitive rail and port sector based on international case examples. It highlights the need for institutional reforms to promote competitive pricing; private sector participation to increase investment and improve service delivery; information and coordination to address market failures and improve access; and cooperation to improve intermodal, interregional, and institutional interfaces.

A long-standing deficit in rail transport is the availability of status information to smoothly integrate rail transport into today's logistics processes. Developments in recent years have improved the situation e.g. on transalpine corridors. However, all in all the conditions continued to be poor for international rail freight, as on the routes between Western and South-East Europe. To close existing information gaps, the IT system “Train Monitor” has been developed as part of the FP6 project CREAM. It integrates train operation data from numerous sources, automatically calculates ETA values and includes a train data base for quality statistics and operation analyses.

CREAM was a European Union (EU) research project which aimed at improving rail freight between West and South East Europe. The project was set up first of all to shorten rail transport times on this axis and to cause a substantial modal shift towards rail. Thirty partners from 13 countries were involved in this project - including railway companies, the UIC, transport operators, research institutes and consulting companies. Within CREAM, the partners have developed organizational improvements, technological innovations and a competitive rail-based transport solutions on a very demanding corridor. The project has been coordinated by HaCon and KombiConsult.

Assessment of Rail Freight Transport Service Quality Investigations show a growth of requirements for goods transportation quality by rail. There is a need to analyse in details goods transportation system by rail to meet requirements of market and give extra boost to development transportation service quality. The purpose of the current article is to give a partial overview about the experts, freight forwarders and customers' survey results. The analysis of customers' answers showed that they are not fully satisfied with quality of the service. It was identified that freight forwarders and other transportation service providers must carry out regular self-assessment of performance against defined criteria of service. Clear and united criteria of cargo transportation quality by rail will make easier to choose transport mode, transport means and route. The survey data and literature analysis showed that there is a vast range of criteria to be proposed for rail service quality evaluation, but no one of the models is prevailing. The analysis showed that most often the mentioned criteria are linked with the information, rolling stock, reliability and punctuality.

In this paper a standardised language code for rail freight operations is developed that aims to facilitate communication between dispatchers, train drivers and traffic managers when running freight trains abroad. In developing the language code the existing situation in the bi-lingual Belgian railways has been taken as a starting point. Communication codes from public services like police, fire brigade, ambulance and military services have been studied. It is believed that, if implemented, the code will improve significantly integrated rail freight services in Europe.

Turkish rail market will be liberalized in the near future in order to comply with EU Directives. Before liberalization, the traditional rail operator, TCDD, needs to recognize and adequately understand the perceptions of different stakeholders and their problem identification with respect to rail freight services. This paper focuses on the perceptions of a group of stakeholders on how rail freight services can be improved, the services desired by customers and the facilities required for rail transport to provide such service. This survey has been conducted by interviewing institutional stakeholders and railway freight companies (both manufacturers and forwarders) and was completed with a focus group meeting to test proposals from the clients. Empirical data was gathered by utilizing semi-structured interviews. This paper reports the findings of the first stage of the research, where a better understanding of the perspectives of the participants and the issues that must be dealt before liberalization of rail freight market were produced. This research has been carried out with the finance of the World Bank.

This paper introduces a special issue of the Journal Transport Problems on group research projects developed within the RailNewcastle summer school organised and held in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. The participants (both educators and students) worked together in multinational and multidisciplinary groups to produce research projects. The topics of the group research projects were based around railway and logistics-related problems. As a result a collection of the best articles is produced for the purposes of this special issue.

Rail is being promoted to play an increasing role in reducing the external cost of freight transportation globally. This is especially the case for nations with high economic growth, such as Indonesia, which require a reliable and efficient transportation system to support global logistics. Ironically, rail freight services in Indonesia have been in decline for more than a decade due to a number of factors including the prioritization of passenger services and strong competition from the road sector. This paper aims to provide a platform for empirical research contextualizing a rail capacity framework, to be applied to the Indonesian system, with a focus on freight services. A desktop review of methodologies employed for capacity evaluation was carried out, in order to identify the most suitable approach for Indonesia. The application of these methodologies will assist in determining current capacity – utilized and unutilized – the results from which can be exercised in future strategic planning.

China Railways Corporation (CRC) is considering new ways to attract capital to support the strategic development of the railway sector. Currently, government is the predominant equity financier, with debt being supplied by domestic bank credits and limited amounts borrowed from International Financial Institutions such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Considering its high level of accumulated debt and liabilities (RMB 3.7 trillion on an asset base of 5.7 trillion), CRC wishes to explore equity investment mechanisms, to increase cash flow from its core and non-core activities, and to use different financing channels as a way to leverage the value of its assets and introduce market-based business models to the sector. CRC is seeking to attract investment from both the private sector and from public sources such as local governments and state owned enterprises. It refers to these sources of capital as ‘social capital.’ This report examines how companies in China and railways in seven other countries, China, France, India, Japan, Poland, Russia, United Kingdom, United States, have attracted capital and made capital budgeting decisions to support their strategic development.