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

货运对现代社会的生命线至关重要，因为它将生产者与地理上分散的消费者联系起来。在北美，由陆路、海运和空运组成的广泛的货运系统为这种联系提供了便利。然而，对运输基础设施的投资没有跟上货运量增加的步伐，这反过来又导致货运部门达到或接近运力运营。与此同时，故意破坏或削弱运输系统的中断的风险增加，例如与恐怖主义有关的事件或因自然发生的天气事件造成的中断。鉴于这一部门本身的重要性及其对整体经济的影响，应尽一切努力确保最大限度地利用相关资产，包括适当的维护，并保护相关基础设施不受故意和自然造成的干扰。因此，本研究计划的主题I将研究决定交通系统在故意和随机干扰下的弹性的战略和战术问题，然后提出应对此类干扰的分析框架和缓解策略。主题二将侧重于危险材料的铁路运输(危险物质)。提议的项目是我在这一领域正在进行的工作的延伸，并努力开发新的技术，通过调查围绕以下方面的当前行业实践来降低危险物质风险：轨道车辆拼装；列车拼装；以及列车路线。*这项拟议的研究计划将在三个方面具有重要意义：第一，了解加拿大铁路-卡车多式联运(货运)网络中断的影响；第二，制定适当的预防和/或缓解策略，以应对随机和故意中断；第三，研究降低铁路危险物质运输风险的新技术。因此，这项研究计划将使我能够为我的长期目标做出贡献，即开发降低危险物质风险和铁路危险物质运输安全的分析方法，从而进一步降低灾难性列车事故的可能性；并制定战略，以确保加拿大货运部门，特别是铁路-卡车多式联运部门的弹性运营。**

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. **