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To compete in the international market, the country with a competitive advantage in the heavy manufacturing industry should increase their logistics efficiency. This paper aims to contribute to the optimisation model for project logistics and proposes the improvement strategy for multimodal transport, especially for project logistics cargo. Mixed-method research consisted of a qualitative study to observe the main criteria for transport analysis and perform a case analysis. In the study case about multimodal transport analysis for exporting 250 units of railway carriages from Indonesia's manufacturer to Chittagong Port, the optimum cost obtained based on a combination of the single -12 multi axle-line trailer and General Cargo Vessel 28000 DWT with the unit cost US$16,700 per carriages and total shipping duration of 142 days. The multimodal strategies are more complex than unimodal transport that involve suppliers, management, logistics function improvement, and lean transport management adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The imported iron ore transport chain is a complex system concerning different transport modes, means, and routes within water areas and various regions on the land. However, the relevant literature has only tackled the carbon mitigation of a single transport mode in a specific region. Under China’s road-to-rail policy, this article investigates the total transport cost, carbon and nitrogen emissions of the imported iron ore transport chain between Brazil and the steel enterprises in the Bohai Economic Rim (BER), and established a model to select the optimal transport plan. Inspired by the policies calling for capacity structure reform of steel industry and energy structure adjustment of highway transport, the authors set up 12 scenarios and estimate the cost and emissions. The results demonstrate the positive economic and environmental impacts of the road-to-rail policy, the development of multimodal transport of railway and waterway (MTRW), and the capacity structure adjustment of the steel industry. However, the impacts of capacity structure adjustment might be marginalized. Besides, natural gas trucks are proved important to fulfilling the goal of clean highway transport. Finally, the discussion on the recent policy of liquidation mechanism reform reveals that the unit railway transport cost should be reduced moderately. Otherwise, the reduction cannot save total transport cost, but cause greater carbon and nitrogen emissions.

The article presents the results of a study of the content of professional terms that are used to characterize various methods of transport operations by Several Modes of transport. The species and substantive unification of the conceptual items in the sphere under consideration is of great practical importance, since for each type of transportation special requirements and special conditions must be observed. However, at present, domestic and foreign regulatory documents and professional standards do not have an agreed system and conceptual certainty with esteem to special terms that are used in industry standards and official policy documents at the national and international levels. The aim of the work is to study the features of the interpretation and use in domestic and foreign practices of special terms on transport operations by Several Modes of transport, to develop recommendations for further improvement of the definition of transport terms and their systematics. In the course of the study, universal methods of scientific knowledge were used, including the study of the structural and content characteristics of the following terms: mixed, multimodal, intermodal, combined, comodal and synchromodal transportation. At the same time, organizational and technological factors of transport operations by Several Modes of transport were taken into account. Particular attention was given to the relationships and interrelations between the various types of mixed transport. The study found that the concept of «multimodal transport» is the most generalizing term for all types of transport, in the implementation of which two or more modes of transport are used. The term «multimodal transportation» in the regulatory documents of individual countries and interregional communities has various interpretations. Therefore, recommendation to clarify the existing classification model of the concept of «mixed transports». For the developed system of types and varieties of mixed transports, it is advisable to unify transport terms. The analysis did not reveal the basis for classifying synchromodal transport as an independent category of mixed transports. The main feature of synchromodal transportation is the use of an innovative model for organizing information interaction between participants in the transportation process. In this case, synchromodal transport can be organized in the form of both direct and mixed transports. The results of the study can be used to further improve the theoretical approaches to the typology of mixed transports, forregulating the existing and developing new criteria for classifying transportation, as well as to unify transport terminology at the international level.

Introduction. The priority area of transport systems development is the formation of transport corridors with multimodal systems and intermodal cargo delivery technologies, ensuring the achievement of economic, social and environmental goals facing the countries. For the transport system of Russia, which claims to advance transit cargo flows through its territory, the solution to the above problems can be achieved by organization of the piggyback transportation. A necessary condition for the organization of effective piggyback transportation in domestic and international traffics is the systematization of parameters and the assessment of technical compatibility of the involved rolling-stock.Methods and models. A systems approach is used to represent piggyback transportation as a complex technical system consisting of road vehicles, domestic and foreign railway rolling-stock interacting in intermodal terminals. The ER-model is used to describe the conceptual scheme of the piggyback system.Results. The parameters of the road and railway rolling-stock are justified and systematized, their mutual influence is determined at the level of compatibility of their technical and operational parameters in the organization of domestic and international piggyback transportation. Systematization, structuring, storing and updating of rollingstock parameters are carried out using the database «Determining the rolling-stock basic parameters of piggyback delivery systems» developed in Microsoft Access.Conclusion. The developed system of parameters allows to assess technical compatibility of road and railway rolling-stock of the countries participating in piggyback transportation, and can also be used for unification of intermodal transport units and harmonization of the overall weight restrictions on the road and railway networks.Financial transparency: the authors have no financial interest in the presented materials or methods. There is no conflict of interest.

Biofuels production systems are identified as a potential solution in responding to the ever-increasing energy consumption demand. The complexity of conversion process and supply chain of these systems, however, can make the commercialization of biofuels less attractive, so designing and management of an efficient biofuel supply chain network can resolve this issue. Hence, this paper proposes a multi-period hybrid generation biomass-to-biofuel supply chain considering environmental, economic and technology considerations. The objective is to maximize the total profit that biofuel producers can make with practical constraints including the biomass supply, the capacity of facilities, storage, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and transportation with limited capacity. To highlight the applicability of the proposed model, it is applied to a biomass-derived liquid fuel supply system in the southern region of Iran. In the case study, wheat and wheat stem are simultaneously considered as the first- and second-generation of feedstocks for biodiesel production. Sensitivity analyses show that available biomasses can have a significant impact on the profitability of this supply chain. The obtained results demonstrate the efficiency and performance of the proposed model in biodiesel supply chain design.

Known as the Belt and Road Initiative, China Railway(CR) Express is a cross-continent railway container transport mode between China and Europe, and plays an important role for connecting China and Eurasia market to boost the regional economy. In order to balance cargo flow and improve transport efficiency, this paper proposes a hierarchical multimodal hub location problem with time restriction for CR Express network. A mix integer programming is formulated and derived, and some results are concluded based on our observation and investigation on CR Express. The results illustrate the rail hub location in China with different rail hub number input, and the hinterland of every hub is explored as well. The rail hubs tend to cover more regions first and then be spatially agglomerative in the central and western regions of China. Moreover, we find that the city Wulanchabu that is located in Inner Mongolia Province has the largest hinterland range, and that strong competition among hubs exists in central and western of China, especially for Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Chongqing and Chengdu.

Path sequence selection is important for multimodal transport processes. AND/OR graphs (AOG) have been applied to describe practical multimodal transport route planning problems by using ‘AND’ and ‘OR’ matrices. An AOG-based multimodal transport route planning problem is an NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem. Heuristic evolution methods can be adopted to handle it. While adjacency (AND) relationship issues can be addressed, contradiction (OR) relations are not well addressed by existing multimodal transport route planning methods. Thus, an ineffective result may be obtained in practice. The OR matrix is a conflict matrix that describes the choice of mode of transport in the process of multimodal transport. By using a contradiction matrix together with an adjacency matrix and tabu list, an approach used in existing work, this paper proposes an effective triple-phase generate route method (TPGR) to produce a feasible multimodal transport path sequence based on an AOG. This paper uses energy consumption to evaluate the multimodal transport energy efficiency. The information entropy is applied to describe the risks of the transport process. The energy consumption and the information entropy lead to a novel dual-objective optimization model where route energy consumption and route risk are minimized. An improved ant colony algorithm is developed to effectively generate a set of Pareto solutions for route selection, which are used for the dual-objective multimodal transport route optimization problem. This methodology is applied to practical multimodal transport route selection processes on two maps to verify its effectiveness and feasibility.

The paper proposes a new single criterion mathematical model for the designing of multimodal transport processes by taking into account the cargo’s susceptibility and the concept of its inclusion into the EPLOS system, which is done as part of the EUREKA initiative. This system will integrate the data from logistics sources and transport and logistics infrastructure from many sources. In the first phase of its implementation, it will cover the Czech Republic, Poland, and the Baltic States. Using the EPLOS system integrating data from various sources needed to solve this problem is a proposal to overcome the main barrier to the effective planning of multimodal transport processes – a lack of reliable information.

We propose a novel hub location model that jointly eliminates some of the traditional assumptions on the structure of the network and on the discount as a result of economies of scale in an effort to better reflect real-world logistics and transportation systems. Our model extends the hub literature in various facets: instead of connecting nonhub nodes directly to hub nodes, we consider routes with stopovers; instead of connecting pairs of hubs directly, we design routes that can visit several hub nodes; rather than dimensioning pairwise connections, we dimension routes of vehicles; and rather than working with a homogeneous fleet, we use intermodal transportation. Decisions pertinent to strategic and tactical hub location and transportation network design are concurrently made through the proposed optimization scheme. An effective branch-and-cut algorithm is developed to solve realistically sized problem instances and to provide managerial insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supply-chain network design is a complex task because there are many decisions involved, and presently, global networks involve many actors and variables, for example, in the automotive, pharmaceutical, and electronics industries. This research addresses a supply-chain network design problem with four levels: suppliers, factories, warehouses, and customers. The problem considered decides on the number, locations, and capacities of factories and warehouses and the transportation between levels in the supply chain. The problem is modeled as a mixed-integer linear program. The main contribution of this work is the proposal of two matheuristic algorithms to solve the problem. Matheuristics are algorithms that combine exact methods and heuristics, attracting interest in the literature because of their fast execution and high-quality solutions. The matheuristics proposed to select the warehouses and their capacities following heuristic rules. Once the warehouses and their capacities are fixed, the algorithms solve reduced models using commercial optimization software. Medium and large instances were generated based on a procedure described in the literature. A comparison is made between the algorithms and the results obtained, solving the model with a time limit. The algorithms proposed are successful in obtaining better results for the largest instances in shorter execution times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study about the requirements and cargo transportation demand in the Black Sea as part of a multimodal transportation frame is performed, estimating the potential need of a ship fleet of multipurpose ships. The study performs conceptual multipurpose vessel design and fleet sizing using the long-time experience and statistics in defining main dimensions of the ship and her hull form, resistance and propulsion, weights, stability, free-board, seakeeping and manoeuvrability, capital, operational and decommissioning expenditure, where the optimal design solution is obtained based on the energy efficiency, shipbuilding, operation, and resale costs at the end of the service life. A discussion about possible applications of a different fleet of ship sizes in improving the cargo transportation efficiency considers the vessel's typical operational profile in such a way to maximise the economic impact conditional of the unsteady cargo flow and environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the Cukurova University Institute of Social Sciences is the property of Cukurova University Institute of Social Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Globalization is a significant factor for optimization of the existing transport chains. It is a major power for sustainable development of containerized transport, the relevant transport infrastructure and terminal equipment. The development of seaports and inland waterway connections became important part in global supply chain. The transportation models which are using multimodal transport service consist from maritime, port and hinterland parts. Choosing the appropriate strategy allows the shipping companies to reduce the transport cost and helps them to be more competitive on the cargo market. This article aims to identify the challenges and prospects for development of multimodal transport operations with containerized cargoes using of system approach to the each subsystems of the multimodal transport chain. To achieve the scope of the paper, research has been done on the global effects that big shipping companies contribute to the final transport cost; to the organization in container terminals and further influence on the local terminal operators; to the improvement of port infrastructure, including the number of offered services and implementation of innovations for increasing terminal efficiency. As a result, the main parameters for evaluation of the importance of one container terminal in the supply chain are defined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Chongqing University of Posts & Telecommunications (Natural Science Edition) is the property of Chongqing University of Posts & Telecommunications and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cuestiones Políticas is the property of Revista Cuestiones Politicas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

One of the main objectives of the project "Integrating multimodal connections in the Adriatic-Ionian region" (ADRIPASS) is to deal with the commonly recognized lack of efficient maritime -- hinterland connections, which are mainly caused by the existence of various bottlenecks at borders. This is achieved by identifying and analysing these -- physical and non-physical -- bottlenecks along the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T) corridor sections in the Adriatic -- Ionian (ADRION) region, with specific attention paid to those corridors that have been indicatively extended to the Western Balkans (WB) region, where the issue of border crossings is quite relevant. The Covid-19 pandemic outbreak affects the entire globe, including Europe, in many and different ways. In the fight against the spread of Covid-19, national governments of the European Union (EU) introduced temporary restrictions to border traffic of various degrees, ranging from border controls to outright closure. In this framework, ADRIPASS took duly into account the experience gained during the period of Covid-19 in the Transnational Strategy for the improvement of multimodal transport and accessibility in the ADRION region, developed as the final output of the project. The current paper presents in a summarized way the activities, results and outputs, including the defined Strategy and specific proposals related to transport facilitation for the period to follow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the structural characteristics and vulnerability of multimodal transport networks, this study identifies the structural characteristics of a multimodal transport network on the basis of the complex network theory. Key nodes are clarified from the analysis of the structural characteristics. The characteristic path length and percentage of the largest subgraph are applied to analyze the vulnerability of the multimodal transport network after random and intentional attacks on the nodes. The network of a multimodal transport company is taken as an example in the empirical analysis. Results show that with more than ten nodes under a random attack, the percentage of the largest subgraph is less than 20%, and the characteristic path length is less than 2. The same performance is observed for more than seven nodes under an intentional attack. The multimodal transport network is more vulnerable under an international attack against key nodes. The results of the topology and node failure under random or intentional attacks would support the management of the multimodal transport network. Suggestions for the emergency transportation organization of enterprises under attacks are proposed accordingly. These suggestions should help improve network invulnerability and recovery from node failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of this paper is to provide an original model of selecting multimodal technologies for the transport of perishable goods. The model in particular refers to the transportability of cargoes. The features of cargoes that have the most impact on transportability were specified. Formal representations of the key elements of the model were presented and characterized, including: perishable cargoes, form of transported goods (solid, liquid, etc.), means of handling (including loading devices and transport means), transport routes, categories of human labor, multimodal technologies and transportation tasks. A formal representation of decision variables, as well as constrains and a criterion function were provided. The model bases on two main solution assessment criteria: cost criterion and cargo safety criterion. A cargo safety criterion in the model is composed of 18 partial criterion functions. Each of these functions directly affects one safety aspect of the transported cargo. The exemplary partial criteria of cargo safety included in the model are: acceptable transport time, minimum or maximum temperature in the cargo’s direct surroundings, resistance to mechanical damage. In order to present a practical application of the presented mathematical model the paper shows also an example of selecting one of the multimodal technologies for the transport of perishable goods from the set of pre-defined types of multimodal transport technologies. The developed method uses different elements of the mathematical model provided in the paper, depending on the considered problem (including characteristics of cargo and their transport forms). For a significant group of perishable cargoes, it is not required to consider all defined criteria associated with cargo safety. The developed model allows for the accurate selection of transport technology for perishable cargoes for most transportation tasks. It should help to increase the efficiency of selection of multimodal transport technology for perishable products. The selected technology will then be characterized by the lowest transport cost and will ensure the safety of transported cargoes, as well as will meet other requirements determined by the transport task. As part of further work, it is possible to develop proposed method by considering additional characteristics of perishable cargoes.

To realize “seamless” connection of ocean port container multimodal transport, efficiently carry out “door-to-door” transport of ocean port containers and overcome the shortcomings of existing highway and railway vehicles, this study takes the standard for heavy-duty container vehicles in TB1335-1996 Railway Vehicle Strength Design and Test Identification Code as the design basis and designs a new ocean port container transport vehicle in combination with automatic guidance technology. This study innovatively designs the automatic lifting system of the bogie and the docking part of the vehicle, introduces the automatic guidance technology and the remote-control technology to optimize the car body structure, and uses the SAP software to carry out the finite element analysis of the car body load capacity and Flexsim software to carry out the simulation analysis on the operation of vehicles. The designed transfer vehicle can improve the transfer efficiency of ocean port containers, reduce the transit time of field and station equipment and container transport links, and improve the level of multimodal transport and comprehensive economic benefits.

Summary. The multimodal transportation of transit cargo is suitable for implementation through Bulgaria in the East-Northwest direction through the sea and river ports of the country as an alternative to the Romanian and Greek routes. Among the multimodal routes with a land leg through Bulgaria used and known so far, those via two seaports (Burgas and Varna) and three river ports (Ruse, Svishtov and Vidin) are most suitable. An expert evaluation methodology for selection of the most appropriate route is developed, including the Delphi method. A survey was conducted among 11 highly ranked and internationally recognized Bulgarian experts, known for their exceptional experience in the field of freight forwarding and international cargo transportation through Bulgaria. The results of the study show that the most suitable route for transit transportation is through the ports of Varna and Ruse with intermediate road haulage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a necessary work before risk prevention and control, risk assessment has become increasingly important in multimodal transport networks. On the basis of the idea of quality function deployment (QFD), this paper combines fuzzy G1 method, two‐tuple linguistic representation model, and dynamic intuitionistic fuzzy multi‐attribute evaluation method to propose a new method for risk assessment. QFD is innovatively used to create an overall framework, which includes the basic importance rating of risk factors, the correlation between risk factors and network failures, the importance rating of network failures, and the comprehensive importance rating of risk factors. The comprehensive importance rating is regarded as an indicator to verify, improve, and modify the basic importance rating, which can make up for the disadvantage of the existing risk assessment methods in proving the credibility of the results. Its result is the key to judging the degree of influence of risk factors on network operation. This paper takes the multimodal transport network in the Sichuan–Tibet region of China as an example for analysis. The results are analyzed and discussed to prove the validity and advancement of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent times, there has been an increase in transport infrastructure failure. This increase is due to aging infrastructure, increased number of extreme weather events caused by climate change, and increased traffic loading. Accordingly, the need for planned and unplanned maintenance interventions is rising. Associated costs do not only involve direct maintenance or reconstruction costs, but also secondary effects experienced by users of the transport network as well as the environment and society in general. Infrastructure managers require tools for accurate quantification of infrastructure resilience that will enable rational adaptation investment strategies, so as to maintain high level of safety of transport networks. Through the development of a Global Safety Framework, at the core of which is a Multi-modal Network Decision Support Tool, the SAFE-10-T project (Safety of Transport Infrastructure on the TEN-T Network) is providing integrated solutions to issues related to infrastructure safety and planning. The paper presents a reliability-based whole life cycle model developed within this project enabling strategic investment decisions that maximize safety, minimize disruption, and environmental impacts and allow for the best use of limited resources. The model is applied on a case study of a bridge in the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

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• Model predictive control is proposed for planning container transport and vehicle routes simultaneously and in real-time in a synchromodal transport network. • Container transport is controlled in a synchromodal transport network using a limited number of vehicles. • The proposed method can handle constraints regarding train, barge, and ship schedules, as well as capacity limitations of barges, trains, vehicles, parking, cranes and stacks. • Simulation results shows that simultaneous routing of containers and vehicles reduces fluctuation in the number of vehicles needed to serve the demand. Transport of containers on a-modal bookings enables transport suppliers to route the containers in accordance with the current state of the synchromodal transport network. At the same time, it enables the transport providers to route their vehicles in real time based on the current need for transportation. The interdependency of the routes of containers and of vehicles has not yet been discussed explicitly in the synchromodal literature. This paper presents a model predictive controller that determines which combination of trucks, trains, and ships to use for transporting the containers and what routes empty and full trucks should use as one integrated problem. The impacts of this integrated problem as opposed to only considering the routes of the containers are shown with experiments on a simulated synchromodal hinterland network performed with both the proposed method and with a method that solely routes the containers. The results indicate an improved vehicle utilization. Furthermore, the integrated problem approach allows for more realistic constraints and costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The imported iron ore transport chain is a complex system concerning different transport modes, means, and routes within water areas and various regions on the land. However, the relevant literature has only tackled the carbon mitigation of a single transport mode in a specific region. Under China's road-to-rail policy, this article investigates the total transport cost, carbon and nitrogen emissions of the imported iron ore transport chain between Brazil and the steel enterprises in the Bohai Economic Rim (BER), and established a model to select the optimal transport plan. Inspired by the policies calling for capacity structure reform of steel industry and energy structure adjustment of highway transport, the authors set up 12 scenarios and estimate the cost and emissions. The results demonstrate the positive economic and environmental impacts of the road-to-rail policy, the development of multimodal transport of railway and waterway (MTRW), and the capacity structure adjustment of the steel industry. However, the impacts of capacity structure adjustment might be marginalized. Besides, natural gas trucks are proved important to fulfilling the goal of clean highway transport. Finally, the discussion on the recent policy of liquidation mechanism reform reveals that the unit railway transport cost should be reduced moderately. Otherwise, the reduction cannot save total transport cost, but cause greater carbon and nitrogen emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses examples of the application of new technological solutions in the field of automation, IT, and electronics in multimodal transport. In the 21st century, electric vehicles and electronic systems that accelerate the delivery process are becoming increasingly important. The purpose of the article is to show examples of the application of electronics and power electronics in road, rail, and sea transport. The functioning of selected devices and systems used in specific modes of transport is also described.

To develop low-carbon transport and promote sustainable economic development, this paper took the uncertainty in highway transport speed and transshipment time into account in the actual transport process and established multi-objective path-decision models of multimodal transport under different carbon policies. The expectation values of nonlinear uncertainties were estimated by Law of Large Numbers (LLN), and the models were solved by the K-shortest paths algorithm and non-dominated sorting algorithm (NSGA-II), whose advancement and effectiveness were verified through the comparison of SPEA2. Based on the Pareto theory, the optimally symmetrical compromise between the objectives and the influence of the transport speed uncertainty and carbon emission policies on path decisions were quantified and discussed. Taking the multimodal transport network of West Africa as the experimental background, the practicability of the path-decision results is analyzed, and a trade-off analysis is also conducted to provide the theoretical foundation for future freight transport planning.

The article analyzes the issues of food provision of the northern regions of Russia. The development of transport infrastructure is insufficient for the year-round delivery of perishable goods. A lack of research in this field is due to the fact that the transport system in these territories is mainly focused on the delivery of raw materials. The food security was estimated by food supply balances and population surveys. In this study, I use a conceptual model of food security. The food supply security was assessed using two groups of criteria: the availability of food supplies and access to them. The studies have shown that in the regions of the Far North of Russia, the supply of perishable food is insufficient, its assortment is limited, the quality is low at abovemarket prices. The development of the transport infrastructure is a leading factor that determines the food security in the northern regions. I propose to estimate the efficiency of transport delivery schemes considering the losses from their failures. The calculation of losses can prove that the used delivery schemes are not the most effective ones, and there is a need to develop other schemes of transportation. The comparative analysis of the used transport delivery takes into account the delivery time, the cost of transportation and the risks supply disruptions. This analysis has shown, that in the Far North, the delivery by rail to the Siberian rivers beds with subsequent transportation by river transport is the most demanded way of food supply. This delivery method incurs the minimum transportation costs. However, it is the longest route, and has the highest risk of supply disruptions. The second largest delivery scheme by the volume of food supplies is the Northern Sea Route. It incurs higher transport costs, shorter delivery time and lower risks. The third scheme of delivery is by air transport. It is the most under-utilized way of three routes with the minimum losses from disruptions and the maximum cost. The results of this study can be used to redesign delivery schemes and to identify priority areas for the development of transport infrastructure.

The network planning method was chosen as a possible solution to management of optimizing vessel utilization. In addition to graphical presentation and project monitoring, this method allowed obtaining sufficient quantity of relevant information necessary to manage its realization. It was illustrated with a hypothetical example of applying the network planning method in optimization of transhipment of containers in terms of time only, although the full contribution of network planning would be possible in the case of optimization of multimodal containership transport.

The paper proposes a new single criterion mathematical model for the designing of multimodal transport processes by taking into account the cargo’s susceptibility and the concept of its inclusion into the EPLOS system, which is done as part of the EUREKA initiative. This system will integrate the data from logistics sources and transport and logistics infrastructure from many sources. In the first phase of its implementation, it will cover the Czech Republic, Poland, and the Baltic States. Using the EPLOS system integrating data from various sources needed to solve this problem is a proposal to overcome the main barrier to the effective planning of multimodal transport processes – a lack of reliable information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A scaled mixed logit model was used to estimate the travel preferences in Beijing. • A semi-random sample of 2652 respondents participated in the experiments. • Many findings deviate from results obtained in developed countries. • Travelers in Beijing are much less sensitive to possible delays caused by traffic congestion. Metropolises in emerging markets are facing serious urban transport challenges. Understanding people's travel preferences is crucial for designing effective sustainable urban policies. Little attention has been paid to studying travel preferences in multimodal transport systems in these markets. This study estimates the travel preferences in the metropolitan area of Beijing, which is notoriously plagued with high degrees of congestion. We administered a series of interwoven stated preference experiments on travel behavior. A semi-random sample of 2652 respondents participated in the experiments. The data were pooled and a scaled mixed logit model was used for estimation. The results provide rich information on how trade-offs are made among the manipulated attributes regarding travel time, cost, convenience, and reliability. Many findings deviate from results obtained in developed countries. A contrast standing out is that travelers in Beijing place much less weight on possible delays caused by traffic congestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dicle University Journal of Engineering / Dicle Üniversitesi Mühendislik Dergisi is the property of Dicle Universitesi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Dicle University Journal of Engineering / Dicle Üniversitesi Mühendislik Dergisi is the property of Dicle Universitesi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ports are developing dry ports in overlapping hinterland to gain competitive edges and relieve congestion. However, the impact of sequential port competition in multimodal network design where two ports sequentially locate dry ports considering dry port capacity is under-investigated. The possible correlation of inland transport routes to a port due to unobserved attributes and parameter calibration are overlooked in shippers' choice model. We formulate a nested logit model to describe the joint choice of shippers on port, transport mode and dry port considering dry port service and range, custom clearance time, reliability, freight shipment size, and ship call frequency using calibrated parameters based on data collected by revealed preference and stated preference techniques. A Stackelberg game theoretical model is established for the two ports, and two algorithms are adapted to obtain Stackelberg equilibrium solution. We find that inland transport cost, inland transit and custom clearance time are more appreciated in multimodal transport than in road transport. Reliability and large-scale freight shipment are key factors for choosing multimodal transport. When the dry port location strategy of one port in Stackelberg equilibrium is its only dominant strategy in Nash game, Stackelberg equilibrium solution would be the same as pure Nash equilibrium solution. Leader port's dry port location strategy in Stackelberg equilibrium could be different from its dominant strategies in Nash game. Dry port location strategy could be affected by port service charge and waiting time. The methodological approach and outcomes can provide a framework for competitive ports sequentially developing multimodal networks in overlapping hinterland and help identify modal shift policies towards sustainable inland transport alternatives. • A nested logit model is formulated to depict shippers' choice using calibrated parameters. • A Stackelberg game theoretical model is established for sequential port competition in multimodal network design. • Two adapted algorithms are proposed to obtain Stackelberg equilibrium solution. • Reliability and large-scale freight shipment are key factors for choosing multimodal transport. • Leader port's dry port location strategy in Stackelberg equilibrium could be different from its Nash dominant strategies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of a logistical approach has an impact on transport policy with regard to the development of freight transport systems. It is expressed in the possibility to increase the efficiency of the functioning of both the individual transport industries and the individual transport enterprise, as well as their integration [2]. In essence, combined transport is an effective integration of different modes of transport, ie. of individual transport operators and infrastructure companies in the context of the transport logistics chain. It is also known as intermodal or multimodal transport (MT). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multimodal transport systems connect seaports to their hinterland and have potential economic, social and environmental advantages over road transport. However, currently this potential is realised only to a limited extent, and road transport still dominates the market. We have conducted in-depth interviews with practitioners to explore possible reasons. We find that lack of coordination at the operational level between the parties involved in transport systems leads to inefficiencies in hinterland transport systems and compromises the advantages of multimodal transport. Although academic research recognises the significance of coordination, it generally employs an economic perspective at a strategic level, but does not say much about actual implementation at an operational level. To fill this gap, we develop a framework to model coordination challenges in hinterland transport, with an emphasis on the operational level. The framework is inspired by the modelling approaches in earlier literature, and tailored based on the common characteristics of coordination challenges observed during our interviews. Further, we propose a method to analyse such models in depth and reveal specific insights such as inadequacy of contracts to facilitate coordination, the dynamics of consequential planning decisions, and shortcomings in information exchange. To demonstrate the applicability of our framework, we use it to model and analyse the particularly tenacious coordination challenge of barge congestion in the Port of Rotterdam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

o cut the multimodal transportation cost of refrigerated containers under carbon emission restriction, save energy and reduce carbon emission accordingly, efficient path selection is essential. From the perspective of carbon emission limit, based on the points that in a multimodal transport network, the railway and waterway transport modes are restricted by scheduling timetables and the refrigerated containers involve cooling costs, cargo damages and carbon emissions, a path optimization model was established with the lowest total cost. All the costs of transportation, transshipment, refrigeration and cargo damage, dynamically changing with the scheduling timetable, were considered. In addition, a genetic algorithm was designed and applied to example analyses. The results show that, the proposed model and algorithm can quickly select the transportation plan with the least cost according to the requirements of the decision maker, thus providing a useful decision support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, performance analyzes are performed on the basis of combination of transportation types for route optimization in freight transportation. In addition, the effect of load tonnage on route selection is also examined. The choice of route is based on the amount of carbon dioxide emitted, the fuel consumption, transportation cost and transportation time. From Hatay to Ankara for freight transportation analysis is made. Filter material which is strong in the production industry in Hatay is selected as load type. Container transportation is suitable for filter material. Two unimodal transportation routes, namely road and rail, and three multimodal transportation routes with rail and road combinations are being developed. When the routes are evaluated on the basis of the performance index, the route of multimodal 3 is optimum route with the performance indexes of 76,1%, 66,7% and 59,3% for the 5, 10, 14 tons of freight transportation respectively. The negative aspects of unimodal transportation can be solved with the use of multimodal transportation properly. Thus, fast, economic and environmental transportation route is developed by simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We construct a multigroup multimodality index. • We investigate the contexts in which multimodality occurs. • We investigate how individuals experience multimodality in different contexts. • Multimodality can be a joint consequence of different travel conditions and constraints. • Multimodality is found to be burdensome, especially for car-dependent individuals. Multimodality is regarded as essential to promoting sustainable mobility because of the widely found environmental benefits, although it is unclear whether individuals experience multimodality as a benefit or a burden. This study aims to investigate the relationship between multimodality and perceived transport adequacy and accessibility in different travel contexts. Using data collected in two large Dutch cities, we realized the research aim from three perspectives. First, a multigroup multimodality index was constructed to measure the variability of transport mode use at both major-category and sub-category levels, which somehow addressed the mode classification issue in measuring multimodality. Second, by performing a regression analysis on the factors associated with multimodality, we found that multimodality occurs in different travel contexts related to certain conditions or constraints. Third, the effects of multimodality as well as the interaction effects of car-related factors and multimodality on two factors of perceived transport adequacy and perceived accessibility are assessed using stepwise regression models. Results show that multimodality is burdensome, especially for those who rely on cars. Specifically, being more multimodal is generally associated with higher perceived disadvantage and lower perceived accessibility; for people who experience the ease of driving or have limited access to a car, being more multimodal results in even lower perceived achievement or perceived accessibility. The results indicate that even in compact and less car-dependent urban settings, multimodality lacks attraction and reducing car use is difficult. The findings inform multimodal transport policies and planning to balance social and environmental values by assessing and minimizing the negative individual externalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supply-chain network design is a complex task because there are many decisions involved, and presently, global networks involve many actors and variables, for example, in the automotive, pharmaceutical, and electronics industries. This research addresses a supply-chain network design problem with four levels: suppliers, factories, warehouses, and customers. The problem considered decides on the number, locations, and capacities of factories and warehouses and the transportation between levels in the supply chain. The problem is modeled as a mixed-integer linear program. The main contribution of this work is the proposal of two matheuristic algorithms to solve the problem. Matheuristics are algorithms that combine exact methods and heuristics, attracting interest in the literature because of their fast execution and high-quality solutions. The matheuristics proposed to select the warehouses and their capacities following heuristic rules. Once the warehouses and their capacities are fixed, the algorithms solve reduced models using commercial optimization software. Medium and large instances were generated based on a procedure described in the literature. A comparison is made between the algorithms and the results obtained, solving the model with a time limit. The algorithms proposed are successful in obtaining better results for the largest instances in shorter execution times.