Abstract
Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering)
Rail freight transport offers a more sustainable bulk transportation service relative to competing surface transportation modes. Transport deregulation policies and rapidly evolving supply chain demands are exerting unprecedented competitive pressure in the freight transport industry. Agile service designs and optimised operational frameworks are required. Rail freight transport has lost a significant portion of the freight industry market share. There is urgent need to improve rail service efficiency and competitiveness. For the rail industry studied, available captive demand is frequently not adequately satisfied. The probability of further market share loss is real. Time, efficiency and responsiveness are important modal choice factors in freight transportation. Rail wagons constitute the primary materials handling resources. Rail freight handling capacity may be determined by the wagon fleet size and operator ability to meet aggregate empty wagon demand timeously and reliably. Empty wagon re-distribution management is a critical problem in rail freight operations.