Modern Trends and Research in Intermodal Transportation

The modelling and simulation process helps the experts implicated in activity of logistic chains to understand the complexity of this domain. The decision actions made at strategic, operative, or real-time control level must be tested before implementations through simulation to evaluate their impact. The mathematical instrument used to build the model must be adapted for every case where the simulation is used. The results obtained must be useful in decisional process and have a great level of trust. Our research presents the main aspects used in intermodal transportation model development and some study cases are also presented. In this manner, we hope to help transportation experts to develop their own models needed to improve their activity.

Freight transport is constantly growing and the forecast is that this trend will continue in the future. The sustainable development of transport requires the development of activities, which yield higher economic and social results while at the same time reduce the negative impact on the environment. In the long term, the sustainable development of transport activities is complex and tied to enormous challenges, difficulties and barriers, related to the development of the technological environment, the social and economic development, the influence of political factors and regulations. One of the central perspectives for the development of the freight transport in Europe is the development of multimodal and intermodal transport. The present chapter reviews some essential issues about the conditions for interaction between the modes of freight transport and the main challenges this kind of transport faces. An overview has been made of the main characteristics of organization and technology in multimodal and intermodal transport, and the related to them commodal and synchro modal transport that have appeared in recent years, as well as the physical internet concept. The application and barriers for modern use of information and communication technologies in multimodal and intermodal transport has been reviewed. An overview of the development of multimodal and intermodal transport in Bulgaria in accordance with the development of international transport corridors that pass through the country is carried out. A mathematical model has been developed on the basis of multicriteria optimization with three criteria: direct costs, time and external costs. The transport scheme is presented as an oriented graph line with each point corresponding to a node and each road, connecting nodes i and j, to an oriented weighted rib (i, j) in the graph. Weight c_ij is directly connected to the three criteria set. We assume that on each rib transport can be carried out by three modes: waterway, road and rail. If there is no physical connection, the respective weight is assumed to be an infinitely large number. Pareto optimal solutions have been determined under conditions for integer variables and application of a weighting method. To verify the model, a specific task for providing multimodal transport has been solved with the help of Matlab R2017b software and the optimization functions built into the product have been found to be optimal under Pareto solutions, using heuristic approaches for solving a partially integer linear optimization problem.

The chapter presents the different intermodal transport systems on selected world continents with an indication of their development and impact on environmental protection. The conducted research indicates a much faster development of intermodal transport as compared to the transport of goods in other technologies. The studies were based on the latest obtainable statistics on intermodal transport from Europe, Asia, North America, and Australia. In all the cases examined, it is apparent that intermodal transport is supported by state authorities and international intermodal transport associations.

International trade is an important industry for the national economy of any country. Effective logistics chains are required to implement it. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the unwillingness of countries and international organizations to take coordinated measures to ensure the smooth movement of goods among countries and their efficient distribution. The lack of research on the transport of goods and their distribution, the operation of transport and the state of the supply chain in a pandemic explained by time constraints and insufficient information. The paper studies the trends in the development of international trade and international transport. The foreign experience in organizing freight transportation and their impact on international trade summarized. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the logistics of distribution of goods and measures to improve them assessed. An assessment was made of the efficiency of logistics and factors affecting the development of international trade and freight transport of the EAEU countries, since these countries are an important trade and logistics intermediary in international trade between Europe and Southeast Asia. According to the results of the study, ways to improve the efficiency of logistics proposed. Logistics factors affect economic growth in different ways in each country. Considering the role of transport and logistics and their contribution to the national economy, it is necessary to take into account the mutual influence of modes of transport on the country's economy, especially in the long term. We have identified a causal relationship between modes of transport, transport infrastructure and economic growth according to the Granger test, which allows us to different developed recommendations when developing short- and long-term transport policies. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the development of logistics and trade in the commodity distribution system in the regions of Kazakhstan using the DEA-analysis method made it possible to classify and rank macroregions, and large urban agglomerations depending on the conditions for the development of logistics systems, the state of transport infrastructure and wholesale trade, freight traffic, investments in logistics, geographical location of regions. The development strategy of these objects determined by the prospects for the development and functioning of logistics and their influence on the spatial location and the efficiency of the functioning of existing logistics distribution centers.

Existing and emergent microtransit and micromobility solutions promise to improve public transit for policy sensitive receptors and people in critical occupations and to create more financially sustainable transit. These multimodal solutions are examined for specific demographic segments. The study is based on an analysis of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), serving metropolitan San Jose, California, USA.

Increasing of freight transport flows rises the intensity of vehicle traffic while impacting the environment. Therefore, the challenges for transportation management in the twenty-first century are not only to improve the economic performance. Cardinally reducing of air environmental pollution, especially harmful impact from vehicle internal engines, or abolishing it at all is an urgent nowadays task as well. Transport contamination is not only pollutants emitted into the air from engine exhaust pipes. Hazardous emissions are also fine particles from the road surface, which form from the wear and tear of tires or other frictional elements of vehicles and asphalt, accumulating dirt from roads spread with a mixture of salt and sand. With the development of technology, this “damaging of environment” problem can be deemphasized by developing the electric truck tractors and turning them into autonomous vehicles in the nearest future. One of the most realistic features of today’s freight transportation is more intensively to use the intermodal transport mode. Considering the conducted analysis, it was stated, that intermodal transport through road-rail interaction (synergy) by providing opportunities for the integration of electric and autonomous vehicle to reduce the transportation expenses and increase environmental sustainability. Lithuanian case of intermodal transport implementation is described. The applicability of the intermodal transport chain to electric and autonomous vehicles is proved.

Maintenance systems of railway rolling stock are in a change process in the entire sector. This is caused by two factors, the legal frame in the technical railway law has changed and the technological advances allow completely new ways of thinking.

The movement of inter-modal cargo is a linear process. It potentially involves, shippers, export ports, ocean transit, ports, quays, terminals, inland transport and inland terminals plus last mile delivery activities as well as related information exchanges. Rail freight plays a very important role in inter-modal operations and services. Everything that moves generates data. For the purposes of this chapter, we discuss the important aspects of movement of cargo, the role of rail freight element in it and the data management associated with it.

Rail plays a key role in the present and future of intermodal freight transport worldwide. In this contribution we examine rail freight as a whole to identify the main problems and challenges in strengthening its competitiveness. The role of rail freight in Europe and worldwide is described in terms of infrastructure, fleets, mobility, modal share. Targets for the future vehicles, infrastructures and services needed and/or planned to accommodate future trends and developments are described, along with the main barriers of the rail freight market. Three key market issues are then discussed more in detail: automation and digitisation, internalisation of noise externalities, and optimisation of operational models. The main identified research problems and challenges are summarised.

Achieving the goals of the concept of sustainable development is a priority in improving transport systems. Multimodal and intermodal technologies in local and global supply chains are an effective tool for implementing the concept of sustainable development in transport and logistics. On the other hand, such a solution increases the complexity of managing the transportation process, which is a limitation of the use of this intermodal technology. This is primarily due to the variety of piggyback systems used in different countries. In addition, there is insufficient consideration of the interests of various supply chain's stakeholders in the process of choosing a piggyback system for a specific region, as well as in planning a transportation route. To solve the problem of sustainable development of supply chains through intermodal transportation, the authors analyzed all known piggyback systems and proposed an original system of parameters for their comprehensive assessment. We developed a multi-criteria model for assessing and choosing a piggyback system using the combined DEMATEL-MARCOS method, as well as a methodology for applying this model and method. A numerical example of ranking and selection of well-known piggyback systems is presented, both based on the objective opinion of academic experts and considering the interests of three stakeholders: suppliers, carriers, and infrastructure owners. The results of the ranking of piggyback systems obtained in the study are proposed to be used to design sustainable supply chains. The authors recommend the developed methodology to the owners of infrastructure and carriers for the formation of sustainable supply chains based on the creation and use of piggyback systems.