Motivation

In a globalized world, freight transport plays a crucial role in efficiently supplying markets and maintaining the economy. However, the coronavirus pandemic, construction accidents such as on the Rhine Valley railroad near Rastatt and natural events such as the storm “Friederike” have shown that transport chains are now more frequently affected by disruptions. The resilience of the in-transit transport chain is challenged, especially by the involvement of various players. Such unpredictable events, particularly those promoted by climate change, make it necessary not only to react to current challenges, but also to look to the future in order to make transport chains more resilient and sustainable.

Objective

The aim of the master's thesis is to determine the causes of the disruption in Germany/EU and the USA/North America by means of a systematic literature review. Particular attention is paid to the intermodal transportation network in order to understand the complexity of the causes and effects. The identified causes are to be localized in the transport network and linked to the functions of the actors and transport modes involved. The comparison of the causes of disruption in both countries and regions will focus on the mutual learning potential. Initial approaches should help to enable best practices and innovative solutions for a resilient transport chain in the future. The thesis helps to identify the causes of disruptions in the intermodal transport chain and to gain a deeper understanding of the impact on the transport network.

References

• Kitchenham, B.A. and S. Charters (2007) Guidelines for performing systematic literature reviews in software engineering, Technical Report EBSE-2007-01, School of Computer Science and Mathematics, Keele University.
• Nikola Bešinović (2020) Resilience in railway transport systems: a literature review and research agenda, Transport Reviews, 40:4, 457-478, DOI: 10.1080/01441647.2020.1728419
• Kurapati, S., Lukosch, H., Verbraeck, A. et al.(2015) Improving resilience in intermodal transport operations in seaports: a gaming approach. EURO J Decis Process 3, 375–396. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40070-015-0047-z
• Mattsson, L. & Jenelius, E. (2015). Vulnerability and resilience of transport systems – A discussion of recent research. Transportation Research Part A: Policy And Practice, 81, 16–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2015.06.002

General Conditions

If you are interested in the thesis, please send a current transcript of records to Ren Kajiyama. In a personal interview, the modalities and focus of the thesis can be discussed according to personal preferences.