Title: The intermodal networks: a survey on intermodalism

Authors: A. Merrina, A. Sparavigna, R.A. Wolf

Addresses: Progetto Lagrange, Fondazione ISI, V.le Settimio Severo 65, 10133 Torino, Italy. ' Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy. ' Business Development, Enercon Industries, Menomonee Falls, WI, USA

Abstract: A new and rather independent research field is now emerging on intermodalism, because intermodalism, that is the intermodal transportation, must study the behaviour of systems different from single-mode transport systems. In fact, the importance of this new research field, its potential interdisciplinary of modelling the problem with the science of complex networks, is not yet completely appreciated by the scientific community. This is due to several reasons, among others the lack of a common background and a rather cumbersome approach of operational research to the modelling of transportation. In this paper, we review the concept of intermodalism and the approach to intermodalism in the operational research field. Then, we discuss the intermodal networks in the framework of real-world networks to understand the behaviour of intermodal systems as a whole.

Keywords: intermodal transportation; intermodalism; transport networks; air transport; rail transport.

DOI: 10.1504/WRITR.2007.016275

World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research, 2007 Vol.1 No.3, pp.286 - 299

Published online: 13 Dec 2007 *

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