Synchromodal Transportation Analysis of the One-Belt-One-Road Initiative Based on a Bi-Objective Mathematical Model

Abstract

Synchromodality is the key to finding sustainable solutions for logistics, especially across larger networks. The era of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought special attention to the disruptions in demand and supply across the world and has accentuated the need for sustainable transportation networks to handle such anomalies in supply chains. The proposed research develops a mathematical model for an intermodal transportation network and investigates the model on one of the largest and most widely discussed supply chain projects of the One-Belt-One-Road (OBOR) initiative. The proposed bi-objective model focuses on time and cost functions with rail, roads, and ships as modes of transportation. A detailed analysis was performed on various mode alternatives and links to evaluate their performance. The study provides an insightful understanding of the network with several suggestions. In contrast to roads and trains, container ships depict a fourfold increase in fuel consumption for an average ship weighing 4500 TEUs with the increase in shipping speed. It was concluded that increasing port capacity and reducing custom clearance time can have a major impact on lead times, and this is directly influenced by a country’s ease of doing business. Moreover, with its several branches, the OBOR initiative can provide a robust supply chain with increased logistical capacity.