A Neural Network Approach for ETA Prediction in Inland Waterway Transport

Ensuring the accuracy of the estimated time of arrival (ETA) information for ships approaching ports and inland terminals is increasingly critical today. Waterway transportation plays a vital role in freight transportation and has a significant ecological impact. Improving the accuracy of ETA predictions can enhance the reliability of inland...

Modelling and Optimal Scheduling of Inland Waterway Transport Systems: A Switching Max-Plus-Linear Systems Approach

Inland waterways form a natural network infrastructure with the capacity for waterborne transport of people and goods for moving freight from seaports to the hinterland. Recently, Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) has been promoted more extensively by the European Union and various governments as it plays a crucial role in reducing road congestion...

The power of policy towards a hydrogen-powered Dutch inland waterway transport sector: An economic decision-making simulation on ship level

Hydrogen offers opportunities to develop a sustainable energy system and is essential to support the EU’s commitment to reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. Hydrogen is a solution for heavy transport sectors that struggle to reduce emissions by direct electrification, such as the Dutch inland waterway transport (IWT) sector. However, the lack of...

Cascading effects of sustained low water on inland shipping

The river Rhine is one of Europe’s busiest waterways and is part of the Rhine-Alpine corridor. In 2018 the river experienced a severe low discharge extreme. This impacted the river’s transport capacity for a period of several months, causing shortages of source materials and fuels in regions far in-land. Historically, prolonged droughts of this...

Evaluation of the resilience of inland waterway transport to increasing periods of low flow, following a Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathway approach

Although inland waterways (IWW) are considered one of the most reliable transport modes, it is very vulnerable to climate change, more than other transport modes such as rail and road transport. The inland waterway transport (IWT) performance strongly depends on the available water depth in the waterway, which is related to the river discharge....

A Method for Studying the Effects of Infrastructure Maintenance on Inland Waterways Transport Systems

The inland waterways are an important part of the freight transport system of the Netherlands. In the coming years, a lot of maintenance and construction works are needed to keep the network operational. This can temporarily impact the availability of the waterways section which can have negative effects on the performance of inland vessels and...

Effects of drought on the traffic capacity of the river Waal and the occurrence of congestion

This research focuses on the impact of extreme low river discharges, meaning discharges below 1200 m2/s at Lobith. In 2018 extreme low river discharges in the river Rhine led to congestions in the main Dutch part, called the river Waal. The river Waal is an important river for inland navigation, but during low discharges the...

Implementing urban waterway transport as a sustainable freight transport solution: A case study for the city of Amsterdam

Urbanisation levels keep rising and all major cities in Europe face common transport and traffic problems. The city of Amsterdam needs a reliable transport and mobility system to foster economic growth, but at the same time transport is causing congestion, pollution and accidents. To scientifically explore the research question, Transport...

Assessing the robustness of Dutch Inland Ports

In the present turbulent environment highlighted by energy transition, disruptive technology, and climate change impacts, adaptability and robustness are essential in long-term planning of infrastructures. This also applies to inland ports, which play an important role in the Dutch transport system. Inland ports have three major functions, i.e.,...

Coal by IWT in India: Initial optimization study of inland waterway coal transportation from Cochin to Kayamkulam, India

The demand for electric power in India has been growing steeply during the past decade particularly in the rapid industrialising southern regions and power shortages are frequently experienced. In order to cope with this problem, several coal burning power stations will be constructed along the west coast of India. One of the projected sites for...