Seismic Resilience of a Rail-Truck Intermodal Freight Network

Abstract

This study introduces a framework for seismic resilience assessment of rail-truck intermodal freight networks. Although highways constitute the leading mode of freight transport in terms of value and tonnage, railroads primarily support efficient long-haul transport, leading the way in terms of ton-miles of freight traffic. Disruptions to rail and highway infrastructure from hazards such as earthquakes can have distinct impacts on intermodal transport of goods at various spatial and temporal scales. In this study, a framework is proposed for evaluating the temporal evolution of intermodal network resilience, building on past research on performance of intermodal freight networks under disruption. The generic framework is capable of accounting for various costs associated with transporting a freight shipment from its designated origin to its destination. In this study, two simple applications of the framework are shown, in terms of the value weighted connectivity and the value weighted inverse travel distance, the formulations for which are explained in relevant sections. The proposed framework facilitates the estimation of quantities such as overall network throughput at various stages of recovery, which can be used by economists to study the corresponding effects on local and nationwide economy.