Combined road/rail freight transport (CT) is becoming increasingly important, because only a combination of transport modes can sustainably handle the constantly growing volume of goods. Artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven planning cannot be missing from this development, of course. Prof. Ralf Elbert and our research associate Yuerui Tang explain in an article in the latest issue of International Transport how AI and loading optimization can support CT and thus the achievement of climate targets.

Let's face it: German freight traffic will grow in the future. That's also what the forecast of the Federal Minister of Transport says. But where to put it? Neither road nor rail can manage the volume of traffic, at least not on their own. Combined Transport (CT) offers a real opportunity.

Prof. Ralf Elbert, Raphael Hackober and Yuerui Tang traveled to Dresden for the 13th Logistics Management Conference from September 13-15, 2023, and presented current research results in not one but two talks.

Looking at “Sustainability in Production and Logistics”, the ASIM Symposium Simulation in Production and Logistics took place in Ilmenau, Germany this year…

How can spotters increase the efficiency of terminals in combined road/rail freight transport? And how can trucks use platooning in road freight transport to reduce costs for transport companies?

The steel industry in Germany must change: The designated climate targets can only be achieved by converting production to green steel and thus reducing greenhouse gases. To save greenhouse gases, the coal used to date is to be replaced by more climate-friendly hydrogen and the increased use of steel scrap in steel production.

Combined road/rail freight transport (CT) can play a critical role in achieving climate targets, as it is one of the fastest growing subsectors of freight transport in Germany. However, rapid growth also places high demands on infrastructure and the efficiency of operational processes.

Digitization is constantly pushing the limits of intermodal freight transport and changing how it can operate. From 17 to 21 July 2023, Prof. Elbert, Johannes Rentschler and Felix Roeper gave insights into two of our recent research projects on this topic at the 16th World Conference on Transport Research (WCTR) in Montréal, Canada.

The transport chains of the future need to be flexible and resilient to respond quickly to shortages and disturbances. Johannes Rentschler had the chance to give insights into our current research on exactly this topic together with Prof. Elbert at the International Scientific Symposium on Logistics (ISSL) in Dresden, Germany.

Combined road/rail freight transport (CT) has the potential to be an environmentally friendly alternative to road freight transport. It combines the advantages of both modes of transport and shifts delivery traffic from road to rail. Unfortunately, CT still poses some challenges today: With many individual players involved in the transport chain, communication and even order processing are not always easy. In the end, availability and timing have to fit perfectly.