Intermodal Rail

Abstract

Intermodal shipments have become an increasingly important aspect of the North American railroad industry, both from a profitability perspective as well as one of growth and opportunity. In this chapter, we will present background information on this market since many readers who have worked in a traditional rail arena may not have experience or knowledge of the intermodal segment. We then provide examples of areas where OR models have been used to some degree of success. Following that, we go into three example problems in more detail. We conclude with a discussion of areas of opportunity for expansion of the use of Operations Research in the Intermodal Rail market.