Service network design in inland waterway liner transportation with empty container repositioning

Abstract

Introduction As inland shipping has been playing a more and more important role in integrated transportation system, the optimization of such a network with empty containers reposi-tioning is of great practical significance to raise inland shipping service level so as to promote freight mode shift from land to water. This paper addresses the construction of system service network for inland water containers transportation (IWCT). Method We incorporate the specific natures of inland waterway containers transportation and formulate the inland waterway system containers transportation into a mathematic model. It is a complex giant problem to optimize routing and fleet deployment for the whole network at the same time. Thus, a combined algorithm with genetic algorithm (GA) and Integer programming (IP) calculations are designed to solve this program. Further, a network of Yangtze River ports is studied. Results A set of shipping routes, including the calling ports, service frequency and type of the used ship of each route are figured out by the IWCT network optimization model. This set of shipping routes is a combination of short routes and long routes. The direct links are commonly used for moving large quantities of containers between two ports. While for small containers flow, longer routes are used to bund cargo flows by calling as many ports as possible. Conclusion Most present network optimization studies are focused on network design and fleet deployment about ocean and coastal container shipping. However the features of inland water shipping network are different and related studies are rare. This paper aims to fill this gap. Taking the specific features of IWCT into consideration, the proposed model is suitable for the service network design in IWCT network. And the experimental results verify the validity of the combined algorithm. Point-to-point direct route is the most economic mode for large cargo flows between ports. When the containers flow is small, routes calling at multiple ports can achieve economies of scale through bundling.

Critical Literature Review into Planning of Inter-Terminal Transport: In Port Areas and the Hinterland

“…The rotation plan is made to maximize the operator's revenue based on transport demand, transport cost, and container handling cost; see Zheng and Yang [52]. An et al [53] study the barge transport between the seaport and several inland waterway terminals. The authors assume that the barge service is provided between the seaport terminal and any inland waterway terminal.…”

Stochastic Empty Container Repositioning Problem with CO2 Emission Considerations for an Intermodal Transportation System

“…Constraint (14) limits the total number of empty containers transported by a train on arc a, while Constraint (15) restricts the arc flow of empty containers on ship route r. Constraints (16)- (19) state that the amount of empty containers loaded and unloaded is within the handling capacity at railway stations and ports. Constraints (20)- (21) ensure that the number of empty containers stored cannot exceed the inventory capacity at railway stations and ports.…”

“…The ECRP raised by these two papers is limited to global ocean shipping. By contrast, An et al [21] presented the service network design for inland water liner transportation with ECRP. By incorporating the specific features of inland water transportation, a nonlinear mixed integer programming model was constructed, and subsequently solved by a hybrid algorithm integrating genetic algorithm and integer programming method.…”

Development of a model for the integrated management of the international delivery chains formation

“…The prediction scenarios for participation of the Iranian ports in rendering global container trade and maritime services are analyzed in [10]. Designing the container system of transport networks of internal waterways transportation based on the analysis of ports, service frequency, and the type of vessels was explored in [11]. However, in these models, not enough attention was paid to the issues of determining the spheres of application of various modes of transport in international transportation based of the multicriterial analysis.…”