Importance of hinterland transport network structures for seaport container terminals: An update

Abstract

In recent decades, the intermodal container transport has emerged more and more as the basis for a globalized economy. This results in appropriate seaport container terminal requirements with terminals serving as transshipment nodes and as an important interface between different transport modes. However, the operational performance in such network nodes is only one fundamental aspect. Especially the capacities of inbound and outbound flows, i.e., the deep-sea and the hinterland transport, play an essential role, in particular because hinterland transport is a typical bottleneck. To solve these problems, different concepts are presented including a dislocation of the terminal structures as well as an increased involvement of rail freight transport. However, some crucial problems and questions should be investigated. Although after the economic crisis in 2009 the international container transport increased again, it is much lower than predicted in previous years. Furthermore, there are some uncertainties that need to be analyzed with regard to future developments.