2013 Session: 221

• Issues and Options for Improved Freight Transportation in Costa Rica
  Abstract: As international trade grows in Central America it is becoming more critical to move freight in an effective and efficient manner. Recent trade agreements within Central American countries and with the rest of the world will likely increase the freight moved in this region. Additionally, the expansion of the Panama Canal will result in increases in freight due to larger vessels travelling through the Canal. With potential future freight growth, Central American countries must prepare their infrastructure and improve operations in order to handle this freight so that they maintain competiveness. The road network is essential in moving freight to international border crossings and ports in Costa Rica making the reliability of the infrastructure and key connecting links a primary concern for freight transportation. Port and border infrastructure and operations are also essential for the throughput of freight at the international level. Although embarking in international free trade agreements has the potential to increase freight, without the corresponding improvements to the freight transportation system the overall positive impact may be small. This paper investigates issues and options associated with improved freight movement to, from and through Costa Rica. The issues and options are addressed in the context of physical, operational, and regulatory constrains to freight mobility. The findings from this work raise issues that should be considered in the design, development and implementation of a modern and efficient freight transportation infrastructure that can increase the economic competitiveness of this country relative to others in the region.
  Authors: Montufar, Jeannette; MacAngus, Jane
  Authors: Montufar, Jeannette; MacAngus, Jane
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: International Activities; Freight Transportation
  Session: 221
  Paper Number: 13-2862
• Optimizing the Multimodal Maritime Container Distribution Network: The Case of the Netherlands
  Abstract: Developing an efficient and effective multimodal freight transport network is an important European Commission (EC) strategy to achieve a sustainable transport system. However, multimodal freight transport has been shown to be hardly competitive for haulages shorter than 300 km. This is particularly a problem in the countries like the Netherlands, as most of the containers are transported over short distances. We present an integrated multimodal network optimization model for strategic long-term planning, which considers the infrastructure configuration and alternative hub service networks. In particular, we evaluate alternatives for optimizing the container transport network focusing on inland waterway transport. The benefits gained from consolidation effects do not compensate for the extra costs of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions. The effects of CO2 pricing that aims to reduce CO2 emissions are limited. Closing those terminals which are not able to attract an appropriate volume of freight flows increases the overall network efficiency. The analysis on the service networks operated by the barge transport mode indicates that one of the hub-and-spoke configurations would be promising in competing with the shuttle (barge) services in the markets which are developing according to a scenario based on the estimated demand for Dutch container transport in the year 2040.
  Authors: Zhang, Mo; Janic, Milan; Tavasszy, Lori A.
  Authors: Zhang, Mo; Janic, Milan; Tavasszy, Lori A.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: International Activities; Freight Transportation
  Session: 221
  Paper Number: 13-1188
• Stochastic Imputation of Missing Physical Commodity Trade Information Using Monetary Trade Data
  Abstract: International trade has conventionally been expressed in monetary values until the recommendations by United Nations Statistics Division. Since international trade only in monetary terms is not entirely representative of global trade from a transportation and logistics perspective, the physical dimension of international trade is attaining increased importance. However, there are missing physical quantities in the trade flow databases which can be due to (1) non-compliance of reporter countries with the standard units of measurement or classification (2) confidentiality issues, or (3) erroneous collection and reporting of certain data. This paper, therefore, first presents the existing methods used in the literature to treat the issue of missing commodity weight information in international physical commodity trade databases, and then proposes a stochastic multivariate imputation model utilizing auxiliary variables such as monetary trade data and price index. Their relative performances in resolving the issue of incomplete physical commodity trade data are then evaluated and compared through a case study, and it is concluded that the proposed approach outperforms all the existing approaches for commodity flow data imputation.
  Authors: Ong, Ghim Ping; Farhan, Javed; Chin, Anthony T. H.
  Authors: Ong, Ghim Ping; Farhan, Javed; Chin, Anthony T. H.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: International Activities; Freight Transportation
  Session: 221
  Paper Number: 13-1638
• Twin Hub Network: Innovative Concept to Boost Competitiveness of Intermodal Rail Transport to the Hinterland
  Abstract: This paper presents the concept and first results of a new research and development project called “Intermodal rail freight Twin hub Northwest-Europe” (= Twin hub network). The main idea of this concept is to bundling the container hinterland transport flows of the seaports of Rotterdam and Antwerp (and smaller seaports) in order to increase the size of trainloads, the service frequency and/or the network connectivity, and hence to improve the cost performance and quality of rail hinterland transport. The bundling takes places in a specific hub-and-spoke service network in which the seaports can mutually boost their performance of rail hinterland transport and can enlarge their hinterland service area by rail.The first results with regard to the identification of promising Twin hub networks demonstrate the conceptual logic: new rail services to the hinterland can be developed by this bundling whereas otherwise the trainloads to/from hinterland regions would be too little to start up a service.
  Authors: Kreutzberger, Ekkehard Dieter; Konings, Rob
  Authors: Kreutzberger, Ekkehard Dieter; Konings, Rob
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: International Activities; Freight Transportation
  Session: 221
  Paper Number: 13-1352
• Stochastic Imputation of Missing Physical Commodity Trade Information Using Monetary Trade Data
  Authors: Ong, Ghim Ping
  Authors: Ong, Ghim Ping
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: International Activities; AICP Certification Maintenance Session; Freight Transportation
  Session: 221
  Paper Number: 13-1638
• Twin Hub Network: Innovative Concept to Boost Competitiveness of Intermodal Rail Transport to the Hinterland
  Authors: Kreutzberger, Ekkehard
  Authors: Kreutzberger, Ekkehard
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: International Activities; AICP Certification Maintenance Session; Freight Transportation
  Session: 221
  Paper Number: 13-1352
• Optimizing the Multimodal Maritime Container Distribution Network: The Case of the Netherlands
  Authors: Zhang, Mo
  Authors: Zhang, Mo
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: International Activities; AICP Certification Maintenance Session; Freight Transportation
  Session: 221
  Paper Number: 13-1188
• Issues and Options for Improved Freight Transportation in Costa Rica
  Authors: Montufar, Jeannette
  Authors: Montufar, Jeannette
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: International Activities; AICP Certification Maintenance Session; Freight Transportation
  Session: 221
  Paper Number: 13-2862