Project Number:
07-11
Research Project:
Strategies for Effective Rail Track Capacity Usage
P.I. Name & Address:
Maged Dessouky
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0193
E-mail: maged@usc.edu
Telephone: (213) 740-4891
Fax: (213) 740-1120
Co-P.I:
Fernando Ordóñez
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0193
E-mail: fordon@usc.edu
Telephone: (213) 821-2413
Fax: (213) 740-1120
Robert Leachman
Department of Industrial Engineering and
Operations Research
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-1777
E-mail: leachman@ieor.berkeley.edu
Telephone: (510) 642-7054
Fax: (510) 642-1403
Project Objective:
There is clearly a need among US freight railroads for better analytical tools to manage their capacity and scheduling. A challenging problem is determining the effect of shipments on a railroad, comprising estimation of the travel times and delays in the network plus determination of the most efficient method of scheduling these loads.
As global trade continues to increase, cargo traffic at the nation’s ports continues to increase at dramatic levels. For example, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach (San Pedro Bay Ports) are among the busiest ports in America. Booming trade with Pacific Rim nations has seen the annual trade in the two ports exceed 100 million tons with anticipation to double and possibly triple their cargo by 2020 (Leachman, 2002). The total volume that these ports handle is evenly divided between transcontinental and local shipments. Furthermore, a large portion of the local shipments are re-packaged and/or sorted at local warehouse facilities for re-shipment across the continent. Railways form the major means to transcontinentally move these goods. The growth in the number of containers has already introduced congestion and threatened the accessibility and capacity of the rail network system in the Los Angeles area. As a result, various US rail lines have experienced severe congestion. Average transit times have stretched out in many corridors.
To improve transit times we propose to study the effect of shipments on a railroad, comprising estimation of the travel times and delays in the network plus determination of the most efficient method of scheduling these loads
Task Descriptions:
1. Data Collection and Literature Review
2. Capacity Planner
i. Develop maximum flow network representation with side constraints ii. Develop and study approximations for the model iii. Develop exact and approximate solution algorithms
3. Route Assignment Model
i. Develop representation for incorporating constraints from planning model
ii. Develop regression models
iii. Embed the regression models into the simulation model
4. Validation and feasibility assessment
i. Streamline integration of the modules
ii Creation of scenarios and a simulation model to evaluate solution framework
iii. Performance evaluation relative to operating scenarios
iv. Algorithm refinement and planning for future research
v. Documentation, preservation and future research perspectives
Milestones, Dates:
September 1, 2006 – August 31, 2008
Total Budget:
$179,990
Student Involvement:
One graduate student at 100% effort, 9 months
One graduate student at 50% effort, 9 months
Relationship to Other Research Projects:
Related to 05-04, 05-11, 05-17, 06-03, 06-11; part of goods movement and international trade focus area
Technology Transfer Activities:
Project report posted on the website
Potential Benefits of the Project:
More efficient goods movement; reduced truck traffic
TRB Keywords:
Freight capacity, freight scheduling
Primary Subject:
4b.2 Transportation and logistics system operations and management
Goals:
4c.3 Economic growth and trade
Enabling Research:
4c.11 Tools for modeling and design
Modal Orientation:
4c.13 Highway
