Methodology for Optimal Placement of Containers in Trains in Case of Cargo Operations Along the Route

Abstract

A new approach to organisation of container block trains is considered based on the principles of passenger traffic. The technology assumes container train’s traffic subject to the timetable with sale of cargo space in the train. The train is made up at the departure station and follows the established route with stops at intermediate container terminals or stations, where a container for which this station is designated as destination is removed and a new container is placed on the vacated place to be delivered to subsequent points of the route.The objective of this study is to develop a methodology for optimal placement of containers in a block train intended for en route cargo handling operations. The technique involves an iterative search for such an order of placement of packages so that containers assigned to each intermediate point are as close to each other as possible. The technique is an authors’ algorithm based on combinatorial optimisation methods.The implementation of the proposed algorithm makes it possible to reduce the excessive mileage of handlers and loaders at intermediate points and, consequently, to increase speed of cargo operations when rearranging containers, as well as to reduce operating costs of using the loading facilities of the container terminal.The proposed mathematical algorithm as compared to exhaustive search allows significantly reducing the number of iterations in search for a solution and can be implemented as software.