An Economic Logistics Model For The Multimodal Inland Distribution Of Maritime Containers

“Interports” are defined as common-user facilities located in the hinterland of one or several seaports. Mathematically, we identify the “interport model” as an extension of the conventional multimodal and multicommodity transhipment problem. The main purpose of the network model is to highlight and measure the advantages that logistic agents can enjoy in routing maritime containers through the interports. The model minimizes the sum of all container-related generalized logistic costs throughout the entire porthinterland distribution network, subject to balancing conditions at all nodes and capacity constraints over railway links. We present empirical applications (baseline scenario, ideal scenario, pessimistic scenario) portraying the intermodal and logistic “first-tier” network in the Campania region, Southern Italy. Naples and Salerno are the container seaports of the region ; the relatively recently constructed terminal, customs, warehousing and processing facilities at Nola and Marcianise are recognized as interports. Major Italian regions and cities constitute the other inland destinations for the container traffic handled in the Campanian seaports. The numerical prototypes were programmed and solved using the GAMS (General Algebraic Modeling System) computer code. The results confirm the importance of the regional offdock and inland logistic system for the distribution of international maritime containers flowing through the Campanian seaport cluster. The future competitiveness of the regional seaports and their hinterland distribution system will depend on a further improved supply of interport services.