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    <title>Transport Research International Documentation (TRID)</title>
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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
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    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
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      <title>Transport Research International Documentation (TRID)</title>
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      <title>Optimizing the loading of double stack trains under uncertain container availability</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2513117</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This paper contributes to the literature on the operations management of double stack trains by introducing a new, real-world research problem that arises when loading trains at marine container terminals with on-dock rail service. Specifically, in this research the authors model the reality that containers that need to be loaded on railcars can be unavailable at the time of loading, while optimizing the assignment of railcars to hubs and trains, and containers to railcars. To this end, they propose a two stage stochastic program that aims to minimize the number of well cars used when container availability is uncertain (first stage) while also maximizing their space utilization when taking corrective actions (second stage). For its solution, a tailored integer L-shaped solution method is presented. Algorithmic performance and managerial insights are highlighted in a series of numerical experiments. Findings include: 1) The proposed L-shaped method is superior compared to a state-of-the-art commercial solver (up to 5 times faster in their experiments). 2) It is beneficial for the rail manager to prioritize making available 40-foot containers versus 20-foot containers. 3) The higher the probability of container availability in the second stage, the more well cars should be made available in the first stage.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 05 Mar 2025 09:18:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2513117</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>A field study on the aerodynamics of freight trains with different stacking configurations</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2082707</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A full-scale 48-foot shipping container was instrumented with surface pressure taps and loaded onto a number of single- and double-stacked container freight trains. Surface pressure data enabled the container pressure drag coefficient to be evaluated for a range of different train loading configurations, container positions along the train, and atmospheric wind conditions. Field-based measurements show that for low and high crosswind conditions surface pressure distributions measured on the front face of the instrumented container are in good agreement with those reported in past studies. However, the magnitude of the pressure drag coefficient was found to be typically 50% lower for all loading cases analysed compared with previous seemingly analogous wind-tunnel and numerical investigations. For high crosswind conditions, the drag coefficient was found to increase and correlated well with the level of asymmetry observed in the measured pressure distributions. This was true for all cases regardless of the position along the length of the train. In the absence of direct information of the incident free-stream wind conditions, the level of asymmetry in the pressure distributions was found to provide a viable indirect method for assessing the impact that crosswinds have on the aerodynamic drag of freight trains.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 23 Dec 2022 10:03:03 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2082707</guid>
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      <title>The load planning and sequencing problem for double-stack trains</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1999012</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This paper addresses the integrated load planning and sequencing problem (LPSP) for double-stack trains. This decision-making problem occurs in intermodal terminals and consists in assigning containers from a storage area to slots on railcars of outbound trains and in determining the loading sequence of the handling equipment. Even though this a relevant operational problem, it has seen no attention in the operations research literature so far. Prior models either focus on single-stack railcars or treat the load planning and sequencing separately. By extending prior work on load planning, the authors propose two different integer linear programming formulations. The authors show by an extensive numerical study that they are able to solve instances with up to 50 containers with a commercial general-purpose solver in less than 20 min. A case study based on real data provided by the Canadian National Railway Company highlights that the LPSP can reduce the number of container handlings in intermodal terminals compared to sequential solutions by on average 11.3% and 16.5% for gantry cranes and reach stackers, respectively.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2022 09:11:21 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1999012</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Double-Stack Trains: Economic and Institutional Factors</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1728858</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The purpose of this study is to examine the economics of double-stack trains and the institutional aspects of container-on-flat-car (COFC) train service. The study focused on service originating in Seattle/Tacoma, Washington, an area chosen because it is the port of entry for a large amount of containerized import cargoes destined for Midwest points.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2020 14:43:24 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1728858</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Flow structure between freight train containers with implications for aerodynamic drag</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1592009</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Predictions from embedded-LES are presented of a model of a section of a double-stacked freight wagon subjected to different local loading configurations. In total, 15 different upstream (Gfront) and downstream (Gbase) gap spacings were simulated to characterise the change in the flow topology.The mean flow fields indicate that the inter-wagon flow undergoes a significant topology change over the range of Gfront=1.77W–3.23W (W= wagon width). For Gfront≤1.77W, the mean recirculating flow in the gap covers its entire length. In contrast, for Gfront≳3.23W, the complete wake closure for the upstream wagon occurs enabling the upstream shear layers to impinge on the entire downstream surface, in turn, increasing the rate of change of drag force as Gfront is increased. The change in the wake shedding frequency, directly affecting the base pressure and consequently the drag, due to the variation in Gfront and Gbase, is presented.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 29 May 2019 17:05:16 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1592009</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Access Granted</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1503991</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In southeastern Pennsylvania, CSX Transportation sought to increase the productivity of its Trenton Line freight rail service by improving the vertical clearance of its tracks so it could operate double-stack container cars along the busy corridor. Investigations using technologies ranging from aerial and laser surveys to lidar, global positioning system (GPS) equipment, ground-penetrating radar, and seismic refraction techniques helped determine the geotechnical conditions along the route and inform the resulting design. A combination of foundation support structures, protection slabs, and solider-pile walls was used to protect the surrounding structures and utilities during the track-lowering process, which included both traditional and innovative excavation methods.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 12 Mar 2018 15:03:17 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1503991</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>CSX Trenton Line Clearance Improvement Project—Contract 1</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1412348</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In an effort to increase the productivity of the Trenton Line in eastern Pennsylvania, CSX sought to improve the minimum vertical clearance along the railroad by removing restrictions to the movement of double stack container cars. The Trenton Line is a critical segment along CSX’s heavily utilized I-95 corridor, providing goods movement through Philadelphia to other major East Coast ports. For this project, CSX improved the vertical clearance at 16 obstructions, broken into 8 contracts within a 22 mile long rail corridor through Philadelphia and Bucks Counties. Contract 1 is located in the highly urban North Philadelphia area and was the largest contract in the project. This site spanned 1.3 miles through dense industrial and residential neighborhoods and included significant track improvements including the construction of 2 new interlockings and 3 miles of new track. Track was lowered up to 5 feet in some areas below and adjacent to century-old bridges and buildings. To avoid impacts to these structures, the design included the construction of nearly 2,500 linear feet (LF) of solider pile and lagging walls and shotcrete footing protection. The design also addressed lowering track over large, shallow sewer and water lines that required protection measures to maintain their integrity and avoid impacts to the surrounding urban community. The site was already known to experience severe flooding problems prior to track lowering. To resolve these issues, the design incorporated a coordinated network of stormwater management facilities including a detention basin, and a pump station which can handle a capacity of 15,000 GPM. This paper will present the details of the engineering design as well as the challenges during the 22-month construction phase for the Contract 1 portion of this project.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 30 Jun 2016 17:23:32 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1412348</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Autotransformer feeding on the Dedicated Freight Corridors</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1342922</link>
      <description><![CDATA[There are currently two Dedicated Freight Corridors under construction in India. They are part of an effort to develop India’s rail network and improve freight efficiency. The corridors will also help improve capacity on Indian Railways, allowing for more passenger services. The track is designed to accommodate high horsepower electric locomotives and double-stack container trains. Particular attention has been paid to traction power density, including the use of simulation tools for electrical design, an innovation for India.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 26 Feb 2015 10:02:29 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1342922</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Marketplace Strategy Contract</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1300196</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Heartland Intermodal Gateway (HIG) in Prichard, West Virginia is dedicated to providing a corridor for double-stacked rail across what is known as the “heartland” of the United States. The Rahall Transportation Institute (RTI) was tasked with assisting the development of the HIG and promoting its use. To this end, RTI has conducted several phases of market research to determine a strategy that will best promote the HIG in the context of its surrounding business environment. RTI conducted a market plan to set goals and strategies, as well as providing essential information and communications capabilities. A market assessment was conducted on nearby and similar ports in the region, determining the HIG’s role in the overall port and intermodal marketplace. RTI also analyzed PIERS data to determine the number of companies that import and export in the region and analyze the HIG’s role in the import-export market. RTI also held focus groups, which were conducted by Dr. Deanna Mader, to determine the naming of the site that would optimally attract attention, be easily remembered, and would create a brand. “Heartland Intermodal Gateway” was the name determined for the site. Deliverables for each of these stages is provided both in the package and in the appendices. The HIG is an enormous opportunity for the state and the region, and will contribute greatly to both national and international commerce.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 28 Feb 2014 13:32:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1300196</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Northwest Ohio Terminal a Success for CSX</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1225469</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This article describes how revamped work processes and technological innovations result in an intermodal terminal that sets the benchmark for the future. With the use of sustainable materials and innovative work processes, CSX Intermodal Terminals Northwest Ohio Facility has set the bar for intermodal facilities of the future. The CSX Transportation’s National Gateway project is an $850 million public-private partnership that will create a double-stack freight rail corridor between Mid Atlantic seaports and the Midwest when it opens in 2015. The cornerstone of this project, the Northwest Ohio Facility, has been open for close to two years and has transformed not only how CSX Intermodal Terminals approaches intermodal terminal design but what the rail industry can expect to find in future intermodal terminals.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 14 Dec 2012 17:07:44 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1225469</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Gateway to Growth</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1142084</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This article discusses how CSX Railroad describes its National Gateway as an innovative public-private partnership, which is one of the largest transportation projects in the nation. It will create a doublestack intermodal corridor, with new intermodal terminals that will link the Mid Atlantic seaports of Wilmington, NC, Hampton Roads, VA and Baltimore with the Midwestern cities of Chicago, IL, St. Louis, MO, Memphis, TN as well as with Charlotte, NC, New Orleans, LA, and Tampa, FL. The improvement projects are designed to increase vertical clearances at 61 locations in the eastern portion of CSX’s 21,000 mile system. This project will increase freight capacity between the Midwest and the East Coast.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 29 Jun 2012 16:13:27 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1142084</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Fuel Economy Comparison of Four West Coast Rail Corridors Using a Streamlined Analysis Methodology</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1091377</link>
      <description><![CDATA[As shippers grow more concerned about the environmental footprint of their supply chains, they are taking greater interest in the fuel economy associated with rail freight movement. This requires a holistic analysis of a goods movement corridor, rather than a calculation of locomotive fuel economy. This study examines the fuel efficiency of doublestack intermodal goods movement along four West Coast rail corridors, connecting west coast ports to an inland city destination. For each route, the corridor fuel economy is determined from fuel consumed by locomotives, drayage trucks, intermodal equipment, and empty railcar movements. For locomotive fuel use, the analysis accounts for track grade and train speed – factors that are ignored in more simplistic calculations of railroad fuel use. The study makes use of a streamlined fuel economy analysis method with simplified data requirement that are publicly available. The analysis finds that fuel economy along these corridors varies widely, from a low of 340 revenue ton-miles per gallon to a high of 508 revenue ton-miles per gallon (RTM/gal). Similarly, total origin-to-destination fuel consumed along the corridor varies from 4.93 gallons per revenue ton to 7.09 gallons per revenue ton. While long-haul locomotive movements consume the majority of fuel, drayage truck trips account for up to 15.2 percent of total fuel consumption, and empty car mileage up to 4.6 percent of total fuel consumption. The methodology established in this study may be applied by researchers seeking to analyze locomotive fuel economy without relying on proprietary data sources or simulation tools.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:00:46 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1091377</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Norfolk Southern Investing in Growth</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/920004</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This article describes two projects undertaken by the Norfolk Southern railroad: the Heartland Corridor project and the Crescent Corridor project.  These projects use a public-private partnership to bring double-stack freight service to cities in Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia and to cut journey times for longer hauls to and from ports on the east coast of the United States.  Prior to the Heartland Corridor project, double-stack intermodal trains from the ports of Virginia had to undertake a lengthy detour via Knoxville (Tennessee) or Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) to reach destinations in the Midwest.  The author describes the design strategy, the funding process, the renovation of tunnels to support the double-stack height, and the components of the partnership that can and should be duplicated in future or similar projects.  The Crescent Corridor project will expand capacity for domestic intermodal traffic by adding more passing loops, double-tracking, and increasing line speeds in strategic locations; building or expanding intermodal terminals; and improving the signaling.  One section considers the impact of positive train control (PTC) on safety of operations.  The author helps readers untangle the legislative and political aspects of these ongoing projects.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 28 Jun 2010 10:16:12 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/920004</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Cutting Through the Heart of the Appalachians</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/919992</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This article describes the anticipated completion in summer 2010 of Norfolk Southern railroad’s $320 million Heartland Corridor project.  This project uses a public-private partnership to bring double-stack freight service to cities in Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia and also cuts journey times for longer hauls to and from ports on the east coast of the United States.  Prior to this project, double-stack intermodal trains from the ports of Virginia had to undertake a lengthy detour via Knoxville (Tennessee) or Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) to reach destinations in the Midwest.  The author describes the design strategy, the funding process, the renovation of tunnels to support the double-stack height, and the components of the partnership that can and should be duplicated in future or similar projects.  A final section briefly outlines additional plans, proposed under the name of the Crescent Corridor, which will expand capacity for domestic intermodal traffic by adding more passing loops, double-tracking, and increasing line speeds in strategic locations; building or expanding intermodal terminals; and improving the signaling.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 28 Jun 2010 07:43:42 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/919992</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Increasing Capacity: A Track-friendly Solution</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/919102</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This article describes how the increased demand for rail travel is a very positive trend and how it also poses significant challenges, especially in densely-populated European countries where new lines cannot be easily built and where capacity of existing lines is already over-stretched. One solution to this problem is to introduce double-deck trains, but this can cause damage to the infrastructure. This article describes how a solution to this problem can be found by combining double-deck vehicles with active radial steering (ARS). This addresses the capacity issue while simultaneously reducing track and wheel wear, resulting in lower maintenance and costs, reduced mass, and lower energy consumption.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:05:40 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/919102</guid>
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