Optimization of container operations at inland intermodal terminals

Abstract: The paper presents an optimization study for an inland freight-terminal located in the North-East of Italy. The objective of the research is to identify the best configuration in terms of means of transport among a set of possible handling systems to meet a preassigned daily demand. Due to the high level of uncertainty of some variables (inter-arrival time of trucks, breakdowns of handling equipment, availability of operators, etc.) the study has been carried out using a stochastic discrete event simulation model. The Authors used a powerful simulation software, Flexsim CT, that allowed to model and compared different scenarios. After finding the more efficient means configuration, taking into account the purchase costs of the vehicles and the operating costs (operators, maintenance, fuel), the authors carried out a robustness analysis to find the maximum theoretical number of trucks that could be managed with the identified solutions, analyzing the impact on waiting times as demand increased.