Evaluating Location of Intermodal Freight Terminals

Abstract

Location of intermodal freight terminals is one of the most crucial success factors bearing directly and indirectly on the main stakeholders involved. There have been several attempts to optimize location decisions so that terminal owners’ and users’ benefits are maximized. Only a few attempts include community impacts. The current study is aimed at developing a multi-objective terminal location evaluation model. The individual perception and strategic behavior of each stakeholder and the influences of terminal expansion, interdependency of terminals, and freight policy on the pattern of terminal locations will also be simulated and investigated. The developed model is expected to be a comprehensive tool for assisting decision makers in selecting the optimum terminal location that satisfies the often conflicting needs of the major players.