Disruption and recovery/ resilience, and safety issues in freight transportation

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Freight transportation is crucial to the lifeline of modern society because it connects the producers to geographically dispersed consumers. In North America, this connection is facilitated by an extensive freight transportation system comprised of surface, marine and air transportation. However, investment in transportation infrastructure has not kept pace with the increased volume of goods, which in turn has resulted in at or near capacity operation for the freight transport sector. Simultaneously, risks from disruptions that are intentionally designed to damage or cripple the transportation system such as a terrorist related events or result from naturally occurring weather based events have increased. Given the significance of this sector both on its own merit and as a consequence of its impact on the overall economy, every effort should be made to ensure maximum utilization of related assets, including appropriate maintenance, and protection of related infrastructure from both intentional and nature-induced disruptions. Thus, Theme I of this research program will investigate the strategic and tactical issues that determine the resilience of a transportation system as a consequence of both intentional and random disruptions, and then propose analytical frameworks and mitigation strategies to cope with such disruptions. Theme II will focus on the railroad transportation of hazardous materials (hazmat). The proposed projects are extensions of my ongoing engagement in this domain, and endeavor to develop novel techniques to mitigate hazmat risk by investigating the current industry practice surrounding: railcar consolidation; train make-up; and, train routing. ***This proposed research program will be significant in three ways: first, understand the impact of disruption in the Canadian rail-truck intermodal (freight) transportation network; second, develop appropriate prevention and/or mitigation strategies to cope with both random and intentional disruptions; and third, investigate novel techniques to mitigate risk from rail hazmat shipments. Thus, this research program will enable me to contribute to my longer term objectives to develop analytical methodologies for the mitigation of hazmat risk and safe transportation of rail hazmat shipments such that the probability of catastrophic train accidents could be further reduced; and, to develop strategies to ensure resilient operation of the Canadian freight transportation sector in general, and rail-truck intermodal segment in particular. **