Increasing the operational efficiency of container terminals in Australia
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Increasing the operational efficiency of container terminals in Australia E Kozan Queensland University of Technology, Australia This paper discusses the major factors influencing the transfer efficiency of rail container terminals, as measured by the throughput time of containers. An analytically based simulation model is designed to describe container progress in the system. Cyclic heuristic rules for equipment assignment are applied and a new heuristic rule is developed to dispatch trains to tracks. The simulation model combined with the heuristic rules is used to address a number of specific objectives of the study. Different performance measures are applied and the impact that the train-to-track despatching and the handling equipment assignment can have on the measures is established. Validation and testing of models make use of data from Acacia Ridge Terminal, Brisbane, Australia. Keywords: heuristics; rail transport; scheduling; simulation
Introduction An efficient and effective freight transportation system is one of the major objectives of Australia’s micro-economic reform programs. An efficient land transportation network requires that interfaces between different modes of transport are provided which minimize costs whilst meeting customer requirements for reliability of service delivery. The problems associated with inefficiencies and congestion in container transfer facilities which have been addressed by a number of Australian government sponsored investigations including The Australian Inter-State Commission1 and The Australian Industry Commission2. Many authors have commented on the critical factors which influence the mode choice decisions of freight customers. Transit times, reliability of service and costs are often cited as the main decision factors3,4. The movement of containers by rail has seen rapid growth in the last years. Since the growth in container based freight flows in Australia is expected to continue, the efficient operation of container transfer facilities will become increasingly critical to the well being of the Australian economy. The role of a road=rail freight intermodal terminal is to ensure a smooth transfer of freight between the two modes. Such freight may be in containers, flat trays, piggy back (trailer on flat wagons) or roadrailers (trailers capable of road and rail movement without requiring a rail wagon). The main factors influencing terminal operations are operating strategies, physical layout, management=work practices, lifting equipment, train plans (sizes and operations), track layout, and management information systems. These Correspondence: Dr E Kozan, School of Mathematics, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia.
factors will now be discussed below. Terminal layout is influenced by the transfer techniques employed and the number of containers handled. In the case of a specialized container terminal, all loading and unloading involve
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