Robustness Analysis of the Dutch Synchromodal Freight Transport Network

Abstract

Freight transport is an essential component of the economy, as among other things it ensures the availability of finished goods to consumers. Synchromodal transport is a new transport method that aims to use real-time and flexible switching among different modes of transport according to the latest logistics information, to utilise the different modes of transport efficiently. But what are the effects of disruptions of the infrastructure used by synchromodal transport on freight transport? As some recent disruptions in the Netherlands have shown, the negative effects can be considerable. The effects of disruptions on the functioning of multimodal transport networks have scarcely been researched. This research gap is addressed in this thesis, by analysing the robustness of the Dutch synchromodal freight network, comprising of the inland waterway, road, railway and container terminal infrastructure.

First an overview is given of the elements of the synchromodal transport infrastructure. Apart from the infrastructure elements of each mode of transport, two important characteristics are identified: the interconnection and the interdependence. Container terminals are the interconnection between different modes of transport, as they facilitate the transshipment of containers. Infrastructure elements whose functioning influences multiple modes of transport (e.g. bridges) are the interdependence between different modes of transport. Subsequently, this overview of infrastructure elements is used to make a macroscopic graph model in which all relevant infrastructure elements are represented. Using the random removal of graph elements, the robustness of the synchromodal network is analysed. Three case studies are used to study the Dutch synchromodal network: the corridor between Rotterdam and Antwerp, the corridor Rotterdam and Duisburg, and the domestic freight transport in the Netherlands.

The robustness analysis of the three case studies lead to the following conclusions. Of the three modes of transport, the modality road is the most robust. The inland waterway modality is less robust and the rail modality is the least robust. It should be noted that the rail modality provides a relatively cheap alternative and offers the capabilities to transport containers further into Europe than the inland waterways. The ability to transship containers between different modes of transport (i.e. interconnection) has a significant positive effect on the robustness. The interdependence has a smaller negative effect on the robustness. Generally, the new alternative paths offered by the addition of a mode of transport (even without interconnection) outweigh the negative effects of the interdependence.

These findings make it clear that the use of the synchromodal transport method, increases the robustness of the freight transport network. During this research, many possibilities for future research were identified. As the research gap for analysing the robustness of a synchromodal transport network was very large at the start of this research, many things can still be researched after this research. The importance of freight transport warrants additional research on this topic. According to this research, due to mode-free booking and the real-time and flexible switching among different modalities, synchromodal transport offers a robust freight transport method.