Project 7: Integrated Optimization of International Transportation Networks

Project Partners:

Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
DB Cargo Polska S.A. (DB), Poland

Project Scientists:

ESR07
Jonasz Marek Staszek

Alexander Martin (Friedrich-Alexander University)

Andreas Bärmann (Friedrich-Alexander University)

Michał Batko (DB)

Hanno Schülldorf (DB)

Project Description:

Transportation networks have an increasing share of border-crossing services. The conditions to implement such services are often different in neighbouring countries. For resource planning, this may make it necessary to change between  rsources at the border. In the case of railway networks, for example, this might apply to different electricity systems, which require a change of locomotive, different track gauges, which require suitable wagons, or labour agreements as well as different technical skills, which might require staff changes. The challenge in this project is to provide decision makers with suggestions on how to find optimal resource allocation to deal with these differing regulations in the best possible way.

From the mathematical side, the topic of this project is mixed-integer optimization models for an optimal resource allocation and investment for border-crossing transport services. This will require the consideration of a hierarchy of optimization models with respect to the planning horizon (strategic, tactical or operational view), and with respect to time and space resolution. This enables the development of solution algorithms based on adaptive refinement or suitable decomposition approaches. Data uncertainties, for example in demand forecasts or in the form of delays, might require robust or stochastic model extensions.