Railway freight wagon fleet size optimization: A real-world application

• Published in: Journal of rail transport planning & management Vol. 26; p. 100373
• Main Authors: Milenković, Miloš, Bojović, Nebojša, Abramin, Dmitry
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2023
• Subjects: Container to wagon assignment; Empty wagon repositioning; Fleet sizing; Freight wagons; Fleet sizing; Container to wagon assignment; Empty wagon repositioning; Freight wagons
• ISSN: 2210-9706; 2210-9714
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jrtpm.2023.100373

Railway freight wagons have a significant share in the total capital assets of a railway freight company. Due to this fact, the main objective of every company is to maximize the utilization of these resources and on that way minimize its size. In this paper we consider a real-world freight wagon fleet management problem and propose a decomposition approach for optimization of the heterogeneous fleet of flat wagons. The approach has four steps: random container weight generation, optimal container to wagon assignment, empty wagon repositioning and optimal wagon fleet sizing. For the purpose of validation, real-life experiments were conducted based on a rail network composed of 911 origin-destination links and the yearly demand of more than 3 × 106 empty and loaded 20-foot and 40-foot containers. Experimental results show that proposed approach has a practical applicability and that in comparison with existing experience-based practice it represents a significant improvement for the flat wagon fleet management. •A sequential solution approach that addresses heterogeneous freight wagon management process is proposed.•Container-to-wagon assignment, empty wagon repositioning and fleet sizing are considered by the optimization approach.•Proposed solution approach is easily implementable and solvable by exact algorithms and with open-source solvers.•The approach is capable to solve corresponding real-world problems taking into account all relevant operational constraints.•In comparison with existing practice proposed approach represents a significant improvement.