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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>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <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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    <item>
      <title>Forward dynamic programming-informed Bayesian method for optimal power allocation in short-sea shipping</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2687474</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Optimising propulsion power along a ship’s voyage is critical for energy efficient voyage planning, as it enables the distribution of propulsion settings along a route to minimise fuel consumption while satisfying operational constraints such as target arrival time. This study proposes a structured discrete-to-continuous optimisation framework to enhance propulsion power allocation strategies. Feasible solutions generated by a modified parallel coupling dynamic programming approach serve as prior knowledge (PCDP), and are subsequently refined using constraint-aware Bayesian optimisation (BO). When combined with a smooth exponential penalty function (BO+EP), the Bayesian optimiser embeds convex constraints directly within the optimisation process, improving convergence behaviour. The framework is validated using full-scale data from four voyages of a chemical tanker. Results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a tenfold reduction in computational cost compared with explicit constraint (EC), while providing up to around 3% additional fuel savings compared with dynamic programming. Overall, the proposed power allocation strategy reduces fuel consumption by up to 9% on average while satisfying arrival time requirements.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:07:54 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2687474</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Envisioning AI for international cooperation in maritime transport: Conceptual insights from short sea shipping and maritime spatial planning</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2652954</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence (AI) can significantly enhance transportation governance, particularly by enabling more effective international cooperation in data-driven decision-making. In maritime transport, AI applications can support complex planning and policy processes, such as maritime spatial planning (MSP), which governs the use of maritime space across overlapping sectors and jurisdictions. Short sea shipping (SSS), a vital mode of regional and intra-regional transport, depends heavily on coordinated planning efforts due to its interactions with other marine uses, its socio-economic role, and the need to maintain connectivity for insular economies. This study uses a national level case study of Greek SSS to identify structural, data-related, and governance limitations that impede evidence-based policy design. Key performance indicators (KPIs) and composite indices (CIs) are developed to assess connectivity, accessibility, and operational efficiency across the island and between the islands and the mainland. These empirical findings reveal fragmented data, heterogenous service patterns, and gaps in current governance frameworks, highlighting challenges that extend to regional and international coordination. Building on these insights, the paper proposes a conceptual AI framework to address the identified limitations. Machine learning can forecast SSS performance trends, while natural language processing can harmonize policy documents across jurisdictions. By linking empirical limitations with this forward-looking conceptual approach, the study demonstrates how AI can transform fragmented maritime data into interoperable, collaborative governance mechanisms that enhance MSP implementation and cross-border cooperation.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 06 Feb 2026 13:52:06 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2652954</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>A GIS-assisted framework for maritime network design and evaluation under electrification</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2633899</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This study presents a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based framework for the sustainable redesign of coastal maritime networks under electrification, applied to the Greek Coastal Shipping Network (GCSN) in the Aegean Sea. The methodology addresses key challenges in maritime decarbonization, including limited vessel range, fragmented insular connectivity, and infrastructure constraints, while acknowledging methodological limitations such as the even allocation of CO₂ emissions across ports and the exclusion of seasonal demand variability—both identified as priorities for future research. The framework integrates zero-emission ferry routes to enhance network accessibility, cohesion, and environmental performance, introducing a novel Network Efficiency Contribution (NEC) Index that combines connectivity, environmental, passenger demand, and zero-emission route efficiency metrics. Spatial data analytics and density-based clustering are used to identify pivotal nodes, optimal electrified connections, and infrastructure investment priorities. Application to the GCSN demonstrates substantial potential for greenhouse gas emissions reduction, with up to 69 % lower daily fuel consumption, and improved travel times, while maintaining service levels. The proposed approach supports strategic decision-making for maritime electrification, highlights the underutilized potential of spatial analysis in transport planning, and offers a replicable, adaptable decision support tool for policymakers, researchers, and maritime operators seeking to establish low-carbon, socially equitable shipping networks.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 27 Jan 2026 16:16:13 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2633899</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Study on Short-Sea Shipping’s Contribution to the European Transport Network and the Means to Support and Revitalise the Sector: Annex</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2598548</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This is the annex to the final report for the ‘Study on short-sea shipping’s contribution to the European transport network and the means to support and revitalise the sector’. The annex includes the full version of the five case studies on the development of short-sea shipping (SSS) in different areas and sea basins. The five case studies have been agreed with the Commission during the study’s implementation. The results of the case studies provided concrete elements to feed the elaboration of the policy recommendations and directions. This annex also presents the analysis of the outcomes from all stakeholder consultation activities that have been carried out and a summary of the dissemination activities that the Commission requested to present the study to the relevant stakeholders.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 15 Dec 2025 10:34:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2598548</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Policy-mix to decarbonise transport: Emission Trading System and subsidies on short-sea-shipping demand</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2608267</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The introduction of the Emission Trading System (ETS) to the European port and maritime industry has raised concerns about its effects on intra-European modal traffic patterns. Higher costs for short-sea shipping (SSS) could prompt a shift back to road transport for shipments that previously relied on maritime routes. This paper examines the potential effects of the EU ETS on SSS demand along the Spain–northern Italy corridor, using stated preference data and advanced discrete choice models (MDCEV). In this corridor, the coexistence of climate policies (EU ETS) and transport measures (Eco-incentive)—which have conflicting effects on the price competitiveness of SSS—makes the assessment of their combined impact particularly relevant. The findings suggest that full implementation of the EU ETS could lead to a diversion of up to 25 % of maritime traffic to road transport. However, the presence of the Eco-incentive could help mitigate this shift.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 11 Dec 2025 16:08:24 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2608267</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Study on Short-Sea Shipping’s Contribution to the European Transport Network and the Means to Support and Revitalise the Sector</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2601286</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Maritime transport fulfils an important role for the EU economy by representing three quarters of the EU external trade and around one third of the intra-EU movement of goods. Short-sea shipping is responsible for around 60% of the goods transported by sea and represents an integral part of the intercontinental supply and logistic chain. It provides dynamic services for passenger transport and tourism sector, with more than 395 million passengers embarking and disembarking in EU ports and plays an important role in the process of decarbonisation of transport and maritime reindustrialisation of the continent. However, short-sea shipping still has potential for growth and presents unused capacity. Besides, through fleet modernisation support leveraging EU’s maritime manufacturing capabilities, the sector could play a key role in strengthening the wider European maritime industrial value chain, including shipbuilding, and thereby preserve the technological leadership of the EU’s manufacturing base.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 24 Nov 2025 10:24:54 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2601286</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Assessment of Logistics Operations for International Short-Sea Express: A Case Study in Taiwan</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2613377</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In e-commerce activities, cross-border logistic companies’ participation ensures goods are delivered to customers smoothly, reliably, and flexibly with cost-efficient freight transport. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the logistics operations of International Short-Sea Express (ISSE). Based on the relevant literature and the operating characteristics of ISSE, the logistic requirement attributes (LRAs) in ISSE are first investigated. A grey relational analysis approach is then developed to weight those LRAs. Based on these weights, a Revised Quality Function Deployment (RQFD) model is constructed to translate these LRAs weights into the weights of logistic operation attributes (LOAs) on the customer side of ISSE. Finally, based on both the weights of customer-side LOAs and operator-side LOAs, a House of Quality model for the logistics operations of ISSE is proposed. In addition, to validate the proposed models, the ISSE operators in the Port of Taipei were empirically investigated. Results illustrate that ocean freight forwarders (OFFs) pay the most attention to no cargo damage or loss (7.47%), the correctness of cargo delivery (7.04%), proactively providing shipping information (6.63%), punctuality of cargo delivery (6.59%), and convenient delivery procedures (6.57%). In addition, the proposed RQFD model illustrated the top 5 out of 15 LOAs as the most crucial for logistics operations for ISSE: work schedule (11.49%), file processing (11.35%), cargo consolidation (10.28%), public relations (9.49%), and contract management (7.87%). The results provide practical information for ISSE operators and related government authorities to make improvement policies in ISSE development. Furthermore, the proposed RQFD model may offer methodological references to relevant research in service quality models.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 28 Oct 2025 09:47:49 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2613377</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Assessing the role of short-sea shipping and ports in maritime well-to-wake emissions</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2582309</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Analysing the carbon footprint of short-sea shipping and ports within the context of total end-to-end maritime emissions is important to help understand both their relative contributions and how they can be reduced. Focusing on the container mode, this study develops a bottom-up, well-to-wake/wheel (WtW) model to comprehensively assess the carbon footprint of short-sea shipping and port operations. This paper utilised two contrasting short-sea container shipping case studies: Tyne - Rotterdam (Europe) and Semarang - Singapore (Asia). In Case Study 1 (Europe), with an average roundtrip distance of 694 nautical miles (NM), total emissions were distributed: shipping at-sea 47.3%, shipping in-port at 32.7% and port operations at 20%. In Case Study 2 (Asia), with a longer average roundtrip distance of 1,849 NM, total emissions were distributed: shipping at-sea 70.1%, shipping in-port at 18%, and port operations at 11.9%. These findings highlight that the port operations emissions share is higher in shorter shipping corridors. The predominance of shipping emissions in both corridors suggests ports could have more impact on enabling short-sea shipping decarbonisation by supporting alternative fuels and promoting operational strategies such as virtual arrival. The proposed model is especially valuable for ports, where standardised methods for estimating their emissions remain limited.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 30 Jul 2025 09:57:59 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2582309</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluating the economic feasibility of short sea shipping in Southern Africa: A case study of regional freight transports</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2570002</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The adoption of Short Sea Shipping (SSS) has been proposed as a possible means of improving regional freight transport in southern Africa. This paper is focused on the implementation of a methodology for the planning of regular liner routes between a set of ports while considering the distribution of cargo throughout this region using the road network. This research applies a numerical tool for the economic assessment of SSS based transport chains, building upon a model of the existing transport network, that comprises roads, ports and maritime routes. A case study is carried out that considers different options for a SSS route connecting ports in southern Africa. This case study includes also two different logistics scenarios (related to the logistic performance of ports and border crossings), in order to fully understand the feasibility of a SSS operation in the region. Conclusions are clear that, for the current logistics reality in the region, the implementation of a SSS route would be an advisable investment. In a scenario with improved logistics performance, a SSS service would remain feasible and even more profitable, as a consequence of high freight rates and in spite of high port costs and inefficiencies.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 30 Jul 2025 09:57:16 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2570002</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Analyzing Ro-Ro short sea shipping connectivity in Spain: supply instability and policy implications</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2564048</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In the last decades, Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) short-sea-shipping (SSS) services have emerged as key alternative to road transport for achieving a shift in the intra-European Union modal pattern. Indeed, European and national policymakers opted for Ro-Ro as a promising means for removing trucks from the roads by designing various policy instruments. In this regard, it is deemed essential for shippers having a regular Ro-Ro SSS supply that matches their demand requirements. Thus, monitoring such Ro-Ro connectivity along time is crucial to identify patterns and assess the effectiveness of policies implemented. However, several studies have attempted to quantify maritime transport connectivity through synthetic indexes, but few have explored connectivity for Ro-Ro cargo. For this reason, this study explores the situation of Ro-Ro by examining connectivity changes at Spanish ports over a decade (2009–2019) using the existing Foreland Port Connectivity Index (FPCI). The results indicate the port of Valencia appears as the most connected port and the port Barcelona stands out as the most evolving. The regional analysis distinguishing between the two Spanish maritime fronts offers further insights and suggest uneven effectiveness of policy measures depending on the regional and local contexts of ports.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 10:02:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2564048</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Time-series analysis approach for improving energy efficiency of fixed-route passenger vessel in short-sea shipping</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2557338</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Improving ship energy efficiency is critical for reducing operational costs and meeting increasingly stringent climate regulations. However, existing approaches often target variable-route vessels and overlook the specific operational constraints of short-sea, fixed-route passenger services. This paper presents a novel data-driven framework that applies time-series analysis techniques to optimize the speed profiles of fixed-route passenger vessels. The framework introduces a spatiotemporal aggregation method for fusing operational, environmental, and navigational data from onboard IoT devices and external sources, enabling the derivation of a new efficiency score that jointly considers fuel consumption and voyage duration. By applying clustering techniques to this efficiency metric, voyages are categorized for targeted optimization. The framework evaluates four distinct time-series models across a dataset of 1755 real-world voyages collected over 15 months in southern Sweden. The findings highlight the effectiveness of time-series analysis approach for optimizing vessel voyages within the context of constrained landscapes, as often seen in short-sea shipping.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 31 May 2025 15:16:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2557338</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Analysis of Ropax Short Sea Shipping Vessels in the Light of Directive (EU) 2023/959</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2539819</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In an effort to reduce GHG emissions, coastal shipping operators are undertaking various activities to contribute to the reduction of fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions during the transition to environmentally friendly propulsion systems, all without compromising their regular operations. Although alternative fuel technologies are not yet fully implemented, the authors have developed a hypothetical model based on empirical data to compare current fuels with those expected to be available in the near future. Short sea shipping operators face potentially high transition costs as they shift to eco-neutral fuels, alongside the continuous goal of reducing their carbon footprint. This paper analyzes a RoPax vessel used on the Prizna-Žigljen route to assess the retrofit process for a zero-emission propulsion system. Two suitable solutions for this route are explored: (1) battery systems and (2) proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), to identify the most advantageous technology for implementation on the vessel. Various aspects are considered, including the ferry’s daily schedule, available volume and space, propulsion power requirements, necessary energy storage or fuel tank capacity, cost-efficiency, and more. This multi-faceted analysis ultimately identifies hydrogenpowered PEMFC as the optimal clean energy system, offering the most suitable retrofit solution for this specific case study to ensure CO₂-free travel.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 29 Apr 2025 13:35:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2539819</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Vehicle-to-Ship: Enhancing the Energy Transition of Maritime Transport With the Synergy of All-Electric Vehicles and Ferries</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2511816</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Energy transition pathways highlighted all-electric ships powered by lithium-ion batteries as a solution for decarbonizing short-sea shipping. The increasing diffusion of electric vehicles (EVs) in the market can enhance the techno-economic performance of battery-powered electric ships. The emerging vehicle-to-grid (V2G) with a bidirectional flow of power provides the power grid access to mobile energy storage, increases the integration of renewable energy sources (RES), decreases electricity costs during peak hours, and creates economic benefits for EV owners, network operators, and energy retailers. The increasing number of EVs, growing research into V2G, and lack of onshore charging stations (OCSs) are key factors that create common ground for integrating vehicle-to-ship (V2S) in short-sea shipping. The V2S provides battery-powered electric ferries (BEF) access to mobile energy storage of the accumulated battery capacity of the EV being transported. The integration of V2S is simulated on the BEF that is navigating on relatively short, medium, and long Croatian ferry routes to cover the entire range of possible practical applications. The simulations considered different monthly occupancy rates (ORs) and state-of-charge (SOC) of the transported EV to indicate the techno-economic feasibility of the V2S. The results demonstrate that V2S has benefits for both the BEF and EV owners.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 25 Apr 2025 16:12:18 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2511816</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Business Opportunities for a Ground Effect Vehicle - Case of Canary Islands</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2487374</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The need to decarbonise and reduce pollutant emissions from maritime transport is facilitating the studies of ground effect vehicles. Technical development in recent decade concerning unmanned flights in drones has supported this development. These vehicles could have much higher speed than sea vessels and they are estimated to be less costly compared to air transport. Unmanned operations without passengers enable wider range of transport connections (even in difficult conditions). In this research the authors analyse prototype vehicle called Airship and its possible use in different routes of intra Canary Islands’ transport. The authors suggest the most lucrative routes and cargo groups. Initial cost and revenue considerations are made over the life-cycle of Airship. As a result, the authors can point that there are three main factors determine the success of the transport operations. They are: the number of journeys per day, business days operating per year and freight price.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 27 Jan 2025 08:55:28 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2487374</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>A risk-based decision-making scheme for short-sea liner fleet renewal to achieve carbon reduction targets</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2350916</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This paper presents a green fleet renewal decision model for carbon reduction technologies in the short and medium-term planning horizon. The objective is to explore the commercial decisions over green fleet renewal made by short-sea liner shipping companies in response to the carbon reduction targets set by the International Maritime Organization. To address the environmental constraints and uncertainty surrounding operational demand and fuel prices, a two-stage stochastic programming model was developed. This model integrates various factors including ship buying and selling, retrofitting, operation area allocation, and speed determination, intending to maximize expected profits. When it comes to fleet renewal issues involving investments in carbon reduction technologies, the conditional value at risk was utilized to manage the risk of bankruptcy. The study also examines the relationship between bankruptcy risk and expected profit, offering time- and risk-related strategies for liner shipping companies operating in short seas.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:40:31 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2350916</guid>
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