Real-time Co-planning in Synchromodal Transport Networks using Model Predictive Control

Container transport is an essential part of the well-functioning, highly specialized, and global production chains society currently relies on. To improve the utilization of resources, it is important to ensure all processes are as efficient as possible. Synchromodal transport is a recent transport paradigm which seeks to increase the efficiency of freight transport by letting transport providers change the mode of transport of goods in real-time. This new flexibility alleviates some of the obstacles to using sustainable transport modes, e.g., barges and trains, as it simplifies the process of changing transport plans if something unpredicted happens, such as delays, cancellations or if shipping requests that were announced later makes different routing smarter. Furthermore, synchromodal transport can improve the utilization of the transport vehicles, as the freight can be routed using up-to-date information about vehicle availability....