RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS

Research School for Transport, Infrastructure and Logistics (TRAIL)

One could hardly find an area of applied research where economics and engineering could be combined more harmoniously as in transport. This obvious synergy led the Erasmus Universiteit and the Delft University of Technology to join forces to create a Center of Excellence under the name TRAIL. The School offers a four-year Ph.D. program in the field of transport, infrastructure and logistics. There are 90 PhD researchers working in areas including:

  • A structured terminal design methods with focus on rail container terminals.
  • System design for intermodal road-rail transport at middle to long distances.
  • Integrated support for strategic distribution planning.
  • A strategic model for European freight traffic.
  • Behavioural demand models for multimodal travel chains.
  • Dependable scheduling of stochastic intermodal transport services.
  • Management of old waterways.
  • Design theory for mixed multimodal transport services and transfer points.
  • European freight transport.
  • Intermodal networks and new terminals.
  • Design of environmental tankers.
  • Planning and maintenance of ships.
  • Co-ordination and capacity input in integrated robotised container transport.
  • Logistics performance indicator.
  • Regional port management in an international environment.
  • Interorganisational co-ordination of logistics processes.
  • Privatisation of port management.
  • Information systems for effective transport.
  • Simulation models for organisational logistics.
  • Regional economic effects of transport infrastructure.
  • An econometric analysis of ocean shipping markets.
  • The identity of the carrier of goods by sea.
  • Informatics in transport.
  • Optimising distribution and inventories in distribution networks.
  • Interaction between strategic network design and tactical and operational planning in physical distribution.
  • Efficiency improvements in urban goods distribution.
  • Supporting the design of logistics chains and chain management.
  • Modelling and evaluation of urban freight distribution systems.
  • Behavioural demand models for multimodal travel chains.
  • Nodes in freight transport: an analysis of the competitiveness of terminals for intermodal transport.
  • Control systems for automated container handling.
  • Design of a highly automated freight transportation system for urban transport and transport networks.
  • Synchronisation of operations in mixed multimodal transport networks.
  • EDI-induced flexibility in the modular supply chain: Investigating versatility.
  • Driving with intelligent Vehicles. Driving behavior with adaptive cruise control and the acceptance by individual drivers.
  • Technology assessment of Automated Vehicle Guidance

TRAIL is heavily involved in contract research in which students also take part. Recent projects include:

  • Strategic information systems for policy development of international multimodal transport
  • Task distribution and workload allocation when entering sea ports
  • Design, construction, building and exploitation of barge carriers and integrated transshipment systems.
  • Interorganizational management of logistic chains in cargo transport
  • The design of a simulation environment for the organization of logistical networks
  • Design and analysis of distribution networks
  • Organizational constraints for intermodal European cargo transport.