Dynamic fleet management of waterborne vessels with mixed passenger and parcel services

Abstract

The integration of mobility and logistics in transport networks offers solutions to urban transportation challenges such as traffic congestion and last-mile delivery. In cities with abundant waterways, electric waterborne vessel systems can enhance efficiency by serving both passenger and parcel demands. This study develops a dynamic fleet management model that optimizes vessel operations using a rolling horizon approach, updating plans upon new request arrivals. A mathematical model is formulated to solve a pick-up and delivery problem for heterogeneous services, complemented by an insertion heuristic for computational efficiency. Numerical experiments for Fredrikstad, Norway, compare the proposed approach with conventional fixed-purpose vessels under varying demand scenarios. Results show that the insertion heuristic significantly reduces computation time while maintaining high solution quality. Additionally, mixed-purpose vessels outperform fixed-purpose vessels in efficiency and service levels across all demand conditions.