Title: Simulation and optimisation for intermodal freight transport system with seaport and railway terminals

Authors: Bing Li; Ce Yun; Changyu Hu; Hua Xuan

Addresses: School of Management Engineering, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexuedadao Road, Zhengzhou, 450001, China ' School of Management Engineering, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexuedadao Road, Zhengzhou, 450001, China ' School of Management Engineering, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexuedadao Road, Zhengzhou, 450001, China ' School of Management Engineering, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexuedadao Road, Zhengzhou, 450001, China

Abstract: With the growth of economic globalisation, intermodal transportation mode has received considerable attentions in recent years. The study attempts to develop a simulation platform for evaluating and optimising the sea-railway intermodal freight transport system (SRIFTS) on the basis of economic considerations. The SRIFTS is analysed from three aspects of wagon receiving-departure subsystem, vessel-to-wagon loading subsystem and wagon-to-vessel loading subsystem. And then, the total operation costs of SRIFTS and utilisation ratio of shunting locomotive as the optimisation objective are proposed. To achieve this objective, the simulation platforms encompassing the two typically layout modes of SRIFTS are developed by Arena software and the hierarchical structure of this simulation module is respectively outlined. The simulation-based optimisation framework is built with the influence factors as the input parameters, input factors, output factors, and statistical measures. Finally, the simulation platform is carried out by concrete examples, which proves the rationality and effectiveness of the methodology.

Keywords: intermodal transport; railway terminal; seaport terminal; placing-in wagon; taking-out wagons; simulation platform; shunting optimisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTL.2022.126926

International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics, 2022 Vol.15 No.3/4, pp.256 - 289

Accepted: 25 Apr 2021
Published online: 14 Nov 2022 *

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