Freight transport planning in Java Island: an optimization model for terminal development and network expansion

Abstract

This paper describes a model for determining an optimal freight transport network expansion plan that selects a set of feasible actions from a number of possible actions. The model is developed within the framework of bi-level programming problem, where a multimodal multi-user assignment technique is incorporated within the lower level problem and the combination of actions for capacity expansion is optimised using genetic algorithm-based procedures in the upper level problem. Some procedures on the basis of genetic algorithms are applied to investigate the performance of the model. Model application to the actual freight transport network in Java Island, Indonesia reveals that the model can adequately select the best combination of actions for optimal multimodal freight network expansion.