Articles

• Foldable Containers: a New Perspective on Reducing Container-Repositioning Costs

  There is little doubt that the requirement to reposition empty containers is one of the more persistent problems in the container transport industry, and is a key factor in cutting operating costs. Empty container transport involves high costs, particularly for shipping lines, since they generally bear these container management costs. Not surprisingly, shipping lines try to reduce the costs of moving empty containers as much as they can. Most strategies are focussed on improving the instruments to match cargo with empty containers. However, due to trade imbalances transport movements of empty containers remain to some extent unavoidable. Therefore, foldable containers seem an attractive option from the point of view
  of saving transport costs as well as handling and storage costs. So far, however, these containers have not been introduced successfully. In this paper we analyse why previous initiatives for foldable containers failed and discuss the conditions required for successful commercial applications. Although the economic advantages of foldable containers seem evident, we explain that these types of boxes have to cope with scepticism about technical performance, the complexity of the folding and unfolding process in particular, as well as logistical and organisational problems with using foldable containers.

  There is little doubt that the requirement to reposition empty containers is one of the more persistent problems in the container transport industry, and is a key factor in cutting operating costs. Empty container transport involves high costs, particularly for shipping lines, since they generally bear these container management costs. Not surprisingly, shipping lines try to reduce the costs of moving empty containers as much as they can. Most strategies are focussed on improving the instruments to match cargo with empty containers. However, due to trade imbalances transport movements of empty containers remain to some extent unavoidable. Therefore, foldable containers seem an attractive option from the point of view
  of saving transport costs as well as handling and storage costs. So far, however, these containers have not been introduced successfully. In this paper we analyse why previous initiatives for foldable containers failed and discuss the conditions required for...

  There is little doubt that the requirement to reposition empty containers is one of the more persistent problems in the container transport industry, and is a key factor in cutting operating costs. Empty container transport involves high costs, particularly for shipping lines, since they...

  Rob Konings, Remmelt Thijs

  • pdf
• Searching for the Rail Bonus

  The inherent superiority of rail-based public transport options over bus-based alternatives, all other things being equal, has been stipulated in the literature and in the public policy discussion for some time. The exact strength of any such rail bonus is important to a public transport operator which has to consider the replacement of rail-based services by bus services. The public transport operator of the city of Dresden (DVB), while generally upgrading its services, has to consider this option, in particular where the continuing tram operation would require a costly rehabilitation of the tracks. The measurement of any such systematic preference for rail-based modes is difficult, as is requires either a before-and-after study of such a switch, controlled for the other relevant service attributes, e.g. frequency, speed, reliability, price, route, etc., or a study of a network, in which rail- and road-based modes offer comparable types of services, with bus services in
  particular not restricted to feeder services to rail/tram lines. Both are rare for obvious reasons. A recent service change of the DVB offered the opportunity to look at the issue in detail. A series of surveys were undertaken for this purpose before and after:

  • A one-day travel diary (including a household questionnaire)
  •  A survey of the image of the services
  • A between-mode stated preference exercise focusing on the choice between public transport and private motorised transport where public transport was provided by either bus or tram (7 choice situations)
  • A within-mode stated preference exercise looking at the trade-offs between public transport modes, in particular levels of comfort, travel times and transfers (7 choice situations).

  The paper reports detailed results from this study addressing the differences in preferences between the waves (effects of familiarity with an alternative) from both separate and joint stated preference and stated preference/revealed preference models. The modelling so far indicates a consistent, but weak preference for the rail option through a higher value-of-time for rail usage, higher valuation of new rail vehicles in comparison to new busses, although they are partially balanced by a higher transfer penalty.

   

  The inherent superiority of rail-based public transport options over bus-based alternatives, all other things being equal, has been stipulated in the literature and in the public policy discussion for some time. The exact strength of any such rail bonus is important to a public transport operator which has to consider the replacement of rail-based services by bus services. The public transport operator of the city of Dresden (DVB), while generally upgrading its services, has to consider this option, in particular where the continuing tram operation would require a costly rehabilitation of the tracks. The measurement of any such systematic preference for rail-based modes is difficult, as is requires either a before-and-after study of such a switch, controlled for the other relevant service attributes, e.g. frequency, speed, reliability, price, route, etc., or a study of a network, in which rail- and road-based modes offer comparable types of services, with bus services...

  The inherent superiority of rail-based public transport options over bus-based alternatives, all other things being equal, has been stipulated in the literature and in the public policy discussion for some time. The exact strength of any such rail bonus is important to a public transport...

  K. W. Axhausen, T. Haupt, U. Heidl

  • pdf
• Activity Patterns and Pollution Exposure

  In recent times there has been increasing interest in modelling policies to limit impacts of air pollution due to motor vehicles. Impacts of air pollution on human health and comfort depend on the relationship between the distribution of pollutants and the spatial distribution of the urban population. As emissions, weather conditions and the location of the population vary with time of day, day of month and season of the year, the problem is complex. Travel demand models with activity-based approaches and a focus on the overall structure of activity/travel relations, not only spatially, but temporally can make a valuable contribution. They are often used to estimate emissions due to the travel patterns of city populations but may equally be used to provide distributions of urban populations during the day. A case study for Melbourne, Australia demonstrates the use of activity data in the estimation of population exposure. Additionally the study shows some marked differences in activity between seasons and even greater the differences in effect of that activity on exposure to air pollution. Numbers of cities will have seasonal pollutant patterns similar to Melbourne and others will benefit from exploring such patterns.

  In recent times there has been increasing interest in modelling policies to limit impacts of air pollution due to motor vehicles. Impacts of air pollution on human health and comfort depend on the relationship between the distribution of pollutants and the spatial distribution of the urban population. As emissions, weather conditions and the location of the population vary with time of day, day of month and season of the year, the problem is complex. Travel demand models with activity-based approaches and a focus on the overall structure of activity/travel relations, not only spatially, but temporally can make a valuable contribution. They are often used to estimate emissions due to the travel patterns of city populations but may equally be used to provide distributions of urban populations during the day. A case study for Melbourne, Australia demonstrates the use of activity data in the estimation of population exposure. Additionally the study shows some marked differences in...

  In recent times there has been increasing interest in modelling policies to limit impacts of air pollution due to motor vehicles. Impacts of air pollution on human health and comfort depend on the relationship between the distribution of pollutants and the spatial distribution of the urban...

  Leorey Marquez, Nariida Smith, Gerardo Trinidad, Jessica Guo

  • pdf
• Life cycle cost analysis for managing rail infrastructure

  In the last decade managing railway infrastructure in Europe has changed compared to the century preceding it. Due to the restructuring of railways, which has resulted in separate Infrastructure Management and increasing performance demands from governments and Transport Operating Companies, infrastructure performance has become an important issue. Reliability requirements, budget limits, and operational conditions, such as the time available for maintenance, are becoming increasingly strict. As a response Infrastructure Managers (IMs) have started to develop computer-based tools for a quantitative analysis of the (long-term) impacts of design and maintenance decisions. These tools should enable IMs to systematically optimise and underpin their budget needs, minimise the total costs for a required performance level, and guarantee the infrastructure quality in the long run. Although progress has been made over the last years, these tools are still in an early phase of development, and have not yet been successfully implemented in the design and maintenance management processes. In this paper an approach based on Life Cycle Costing has been developed, which is able to support decision-making on design and maintenance quantitatively, even in absence of sophisticated maintenance planning tools, using expert judgement beside empirical data. Key to the approach is a decision support system (DSS) for analysing the long-term impacts of design and maintenance decisions on reliability, availability and cost of ownership. The DSS combines data from different management areas, such as construction, maintenance, financing and transport operations, in order to make estimates of the life cycle costs. Infrastructure availability and reliability are included in the analysis of life cycle costs, as they have an impact on the costs and revenues of transport operations. The DSS concept and its application during the tender for the Dutch High-Speed Line are presented. Both results and obstacles are discussed. Especially in a design phase a lot of uncertainty is involved in the analysis. The DSS proves to be a valuable tool for testing the robustness of design and maintenance decisions and for focusing the discussion on the important cost-driving factors.

  In the last decade managing railway infrastructure in Europe has changed compared to the century preceding it. Due to the restructuring of railways, which has resulted in separate Infrastructure Management and increasing performance demands from governments and Transport Operating Companies, infrastructure performance has become an important issue. Reliability requirements, budget limits, and operational conditions, such as the time available for maintenance, are becoming increasingly strict. As a response Infrastructure Managers (IMs) have started to develop computer-based tools for a quantitative analysis of the (long-term) impacts of design and maintenance decisions. These tools should enable IMs to systematically optimise and underpin their budget needs, minimise the total costs for a required performance level, and guarantee the infrastructure quality in the long run. Although progress has been made over the last years, these tools are still in an early phase of development,...

  In the last decade managing railway infrastructure in Europe has changed compared to the century preceding it. Due to the restructuring of railways, which has resulted in separate Infrastructure Management and increasing performance demands from governments and Transport Operating Companies,...

  Arjen Zoeteman

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• European Perspectives

  This new regular section looks at emerging issues with a definite pan-European focus and high significance for transport and/or infrastructure research. Three general inter-related themes will be examined in the new section – policy , practice and research . The connections between these themes will also be the focus of the section. Sometimes the section will primarily address one of these themes and at other times it will address two or all three of the themes. The policy theme will include recent developments in European transport policy and also recent developments in environmental, regional development and economic policy where there are specific implications for transport. The practice theme will include issues such as European benchmarking and pilot projects as well as recent developments in different transport industries across Europe (shipping, aviation and rail for example) and prospects for the future. The research theme will include topics such as recent developments in European research priorities and funding opportunities for transport and/or infrastructure research.

  This new regular section looks at emerging issues with a definite pan-European focus and high significance for transport and/or infrastructure research. Three general inter-related themes will be examined in the new section – policy , practice and research . The connections between these themes will also be the focus of the section. Sometimes the section will primarily address one of these themes and at other times it will address two or all three of the themes. The policy theme will include recent developments in European transport policy and also recent developments in environmental, regional development and economic policy where there are specific implications for transport. The practice theme will include issues such as European benchmarking and pilot projects as well as recent developments in different transport industries across Europe (shipping, aviation and rail for example) and prospects for the future. The research theme will include topics such as recent developments...

  This new regular section looks at emerging issues with a definite pan-European focus and high significance for transport and/or infrastructure research. Three general inter-related themes will be examined in the new section – policy , practice and research . The connections between these...

  Dominic Stead

  • pdf