Multimodal Transport Systems

The use and management of multimodal transport systems, including car-pooling and goods transportation, have become extremely complex, due to their large size (sometimes several thousand variables), the nature of their dynamic relationships as well as the many constraints to which they are subjected. The managers of these systems must ensure that the system works as efficiently as possible by managing the various causes of malfunction of the transport system (vehicle breakdowns, road obstructions, accidents, etc.). The detection and resolution of conflicts, which are particularly complex and must be dealt with in real time, are currently processed manually by operators. However, the experience and abilities of these operators are no longer sufficient when faced with the complexity of the problems to be solved. It is thus necessary to provide them with an interactive tool to help with the management of disturbances, enabling them to identify the different disturbances, to characterize and prioritize these disturbances, to process them by taking into account their specifics and to evaluate the impact of the decisions in real time. Each chapter of this book can be broken down into an approach for solving a transport problem in 3 stages, i.e. modeling the problem, creating optimization algorithms and validating the solutions. The management of a transport system calls for knowledge of a variety of theories (problem modeling tools, multi-objective problem classification, optimization algorithms, etc.). The different constraints increase its complexity drastically and thus require a model that represents as far as possible all the components of a problem in order to better identify it and propose corresponding solutions. These solutions are then evaluated according to the criteria of the transport providers as well as those of the city transport authorities. This book consists of a state of the art on innovative transport systems as well as the possibility of coordinating with the current public transport system and the authors clearly illustrate this coordination within the framework of an intelligent transport system. Contents 1. Dynamic Car-pooling, Slim Hammadi and Nawel Zangar. 2. Simulation of Urban Transport Systems, Christian Tahon, Thérèse Bonte and Alain Gibaud. 3. Real-time Fleet Management: Typology and Methods, Frédéric Semet and Gilles Goncalves. 4. Solving the Problem of Dynamic Routes by Particle Swarm, Mostefa Redouane Khouahjia, Laetitia Jourdan and El Ghazali Talbi. 5. Optimization of Traffic at a Railway Junction: Scheduling Approaches Based on Timed Petri Nets, Thomas Bourdeaud’huy and Benoît Trouillet. About the Authors Slim Hammadi is Full Professor at the Ecole Centrale de Lille in France, and Director of the LAGIS Team on Optimization of Logistic systems. He is an IEEE Senior Member and specializes in distributed optimization, multi-agent systems, supply chain management and metaheuristics. Mekki Ksouri is Professor and Head of the Systems Analysis, Conception and Control Laboratory at Tunis El Manar University, National Engineering School of Tunis (ENIT) in Tunisia. He is an IEEE Senior Member and specializes in control systems, nonlinear systems, adaptive control and optimization. The multimodal transport network customers need to be oriented during their travels. A multimodal information system (MIS) can provide customers with a travel support tool, allowing them to express their demands and providing them with the appropriate responses in order to improve their travel conditions. This book develops methodologies in order to realize a MIS tool capable of ensuring the availability of permanent multimodal information for customers before and while traveling, considering passengers mobility.

The growing mobility needs of travellers have led to the development of increasingly complex and integrated multi-modal transit networks. Hence, transport agencies and transit operators are now more urgently required to assist in the challenging task of effectively and efficiently planning, managing, and governing transit networks. A pre-condition for the development of an effective intelligent multi-modal transit system is the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) tools that will support the needs of transit operators and travellers. To achieve this, reliable real-time simulation and short-term forecasting of passenger demand and service network conditions are required to provide both real-time traveller information and successfully synchronise transit service planning and operations control. Modelling Intelligent Multi-Modal Transit Systems introduces the current trends in this newly emerging area. Recent developments in information technology and telematics have enabled a large amount of data to become available, thus further attracting transport researchers to set up new models outside the context of the traditional data-driven approach. The alternative demand-supply interaction or network assignment modelling approach has improved greatly in recent years and has a crucial role to play in this new context.

Mobility is fundamental to economic and social activities such as commuting, manufacturing, or supplying energy. Each movement has an origin, a potential set of intermediate locations, a destination, and a nature which is linked with geographical attributes. Transport systems composed of infrastructures, modes and terminals are so embedded in the socio-economic life of individuals, institutions and corporations that they are often invisible to the consumer. This is paradoxical as the perceived invisibility of transportation is derived from its efficiency. Understanding how mobility is linked with geography is main the purpose of this book. The third edition of The Geography of Transport Systems has been revised and updated to provide an overview of the spatial aspects of transportation. This text provides greater discussion of security, energy, green logistics, as well as new and updated case studies, a revised content structure, and new figures. Each chapter covers a specific conceptual dimension including networks, modes, terminals, freight transportation, urban transportation and environmental impacts. A final chapter contains core methodologies linked with transport geography such as accessibility, spatial interactions, graph theory and Geographic Information Systems for transportation (GIS-T). This book provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the field, with a broad overview of its concepts, methods, and areas of application. The accompanying website for this text contains a useful additional material, including digital maps, PowerPoint slides, databases, and links to further reading and websites. The website can be accessed at: http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans This text is an essential resource for undergraduates studying transport geography, as well as those interest in economic and urban geography, transport planning and engineering.

Rapid globalisation has led to the realization that the traditional modal approach to transporting people and goods is insufficient. Multimodal Transport Security illustrates the inevitable shift towards multimodal transportation systems, further enabled by modern technological innovations, and succinctly assesses the demanding and new security challenges that have accompanied this. The emergence of these complex transportation infrastructures has created exceedingly attractive terrorist targets owing to the potential for wide-scale disruption of global supply chains. Providing a conjoint analysis of key issues in both passenger and freight multimodal transportation security, expert contributors provide pivotal case studies highlighting the successes and failures of various policies and practices across several geographical regions. Adeptly drawing these strands together, the editors identify similarities and heterogeneities and in doing so, produce a practical illustration of the potential for further enhancement of multimodal security. An ever-increasing and worldwide concern with the improvement of security in transport places this unique and comprehensive text at the forefront of transportation literature. It will be of great value to students and scholars of public policy as well as policy makers in the fields of transportation and counter-terrorism.

Logistics Transportation Systems compiles multiple topics on transportation logistics systems from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives, providing detailed examples of real-world logistics workflows. It explores the key concepts and problem-solving techniques required by researchers and logistics professionals to effectively manage the continued expansion of logistics transportation systems, which is expected to reach an estimated 25 billion tons in the United States alone by 2045. This book provides an ample understanding of logistics transportation systems, including basic concepts, in-depth modeling analysis, and network analysis for researchers and practitioners. In addition, it covers policy issues related to transportation logistics, such as security, rules and regulations, and emerging issues including reshoring. This book is an ideal guide for academic researchers and both undergraduate and graduate students in transportation modeling, supply chains, planning, and systems. It is also useful to transportation practitioners involved in planning, feasibility studies, consultation and policy for transportation systems, logistics, and infrastructure. Provides real-world examples of logistics systems solutions for multiple transportation modes, including seaports, rail, barge, road, pipelines, and airports Covers a wide range of business aspects, including customer service, cost, and decision analysis Features key-term definitions, concept overviews, discussions, and analytical problem-solving

Not until the recent attacks on transport systems has transport security become a focus of public concern and academic research. Various aspects of transport security have already been analysed under different agendas. Some research was focused on the potential risk to the environment resulting from transport, in particular from the transport of hazardous or dangerous goods, while other research considered critical elements of transport networks or supply chains as vital lifelines in the case of natural disasters. Recently, new threats stimulated interest in transport security as a stand-alone issue, placing it at the forefront of political and academic agendas. A NATO Advanced Research Workshop held at Imperial College London in January 2009 brought together those with expertise in the above-mentioned fields in order to verify the current state of knowledge in the field and identify promising areas for future work. The workshop concentrated on maritime and intermodal transport, risk management and long-term strategic planning, rather than on the details of monitoring or detection techniques. This collection of papers emanates largely from that workshop. While transport systems are widely recognized as terrorist targets, complete protection of these systems is economically and practically infeasible. The workshop looked at analytical methods to identify critical points in the transport infrastructure and the prioritization of defensive and mitigating measures given the limited resources available. Deficiencies in methods for conducting such an assessment were identified and the need for cost-effective mitigation measures was emphasized.

An accessible introduction to multimodal contracts of carriage, Multimodal Transport Law works from general principles toward specific, technical problems. Adopting an international approach, it addresses such key topics as: Contracts of carriage Transport documents The parties to a contract of carriage International conventions on the carriage of goods Multimodal situations covered by unimodal conventions Conflict of laws The rules applicable to the individual legs of multimodal contracts of carriage The Rotterdam Rules Providing a close examination of the relevant rules, regulations and case law, this is essential reading for law students, useful for claims handlers and practitioners, and of interest for academics and legislators seeking a better appreciation of multimodal contracts of carriage.

This book presents innovative research and its applications in the development of transportation infrastructure, and discusses the latest trends, challenges and unsolved problems in the field of transport technology. The book also presents a range of solutions to problems faced by the rapidly growing economies of the developing world. Core challenges confronting policymakers in the field of transport technology include traffic congestion, air pollution, traffic fatalities and injuries, and petroleum dependence. At the same time, the increased use of hybrid and electric vehicles is changing consumer needs and behaviors. The solutions discussed in this book will encourage and inspire researchers, industry professionals and policymakers alike to put these methods into practice.