The hierarchical multimodal hub location problem for cross-border logistics networks considering multiple capacity levels, congestion and economies of scale

Journal Article (2025)
Author(s)

Zhenjie Wang (Central South University China, TU Delft - Technology, Policy and Management)

Dezhi Zhang (Central South University China)

Lóránt Tavasszy (TU Delft - Technology, Policy and Management, TU Delft - Civil Engineering & Geosciences)

Stefano Fazi (TU Delft - Technology, Policy and Management)

Research Group
Transport, Mobility and Logistics
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tre.2025.103972 Final published version
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Publication Year
2025
Language
English
Research Group
Transport, Mobility and Logistics
Bibliographical Note
Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.
Journal title
Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review
Volume number
196
Article number
103972
Downloads counter
263
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Abstract

The continuous growth of international container trade calls for logistics networks that seamlessly connect cross-border, domestic, and local transport services. In the design of these networks with various hubs and modes of transport, the consideration of both economies of scale for multimodal transport and congestion is essential since they can significantly impact the location of the hubs and their size. Thereby, in this paper, we study these features within a multimodal hub location problem for international trade that considers a hierarchy in the network structure. We develop a mixed-integer linear programming formulation, minimizing infrastructural, operational, and congestion costs. A hybrid adaptive variable neighborhood search algorithm with tailored operators and speed-up strategies is proposed to solve large-scale instances. Numerical experiments are conducted for China's New Western Land-Sea Corridor case and provide new managerial insights for designing hierarchical, multi-modal, cross-border logistics networks.

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