The rail freight network optimization model presented in this paper was developed as asupport tool for planning and policy decisions involved in the improvement of rail networks on aregional and national level. It is based on a strategic traffic assignment model designed to modelmacro networks with a high aggregation level, being exclusively designed for freight traffic. Themodel contemplates road and rail transport modes, and considers two different types of cargo:intermodal cargo, which is generally transported in containers and is easily interchangedbetween different modes at intermodal terminals; and general cargo, which represents all theremaining cargo. The optimization process is based on a local search heuristic which deliversgood solutions in a reasonable computing time, with the quality of each network improvementsolution being assessed based on the reduction of the total generalized costs and CO2 emissions.This freight network optimization model is innovative in the fact that it is not limited, allowingfor both the improvement of existing links as well as the construction of new ones, and nothaving a limit on the number or variety of network improvement possibilities. Its adaptability todifferent conditions is emphasized when the model is applied to two networks under differentinvestment scenarios, by delivering considerably different solutions adapted to the conditions ofeach scenario.
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