Analysis of Competitiveness of Small Ports of the Azov-Black Sea Basin in Multimodal Transportation: Technological Aspects, Transportation Problem Optimisation

Abstract

A new approach is proposed to the study of functioning of the connecting and transforming link of the multimodal transport and logistics chain, implemented by railway cargo transportation. The methodological basis of the research is classical principles of egalitarianism in the theory of welfare, which allow, based on assessment of the transport and technological infrastructure of the network segment and tariff rates, to build mathematical models that are economically justified, customer-oriented and in demand in management of cargo transportation processes. An algorithm for solving a multi-criteria and multi-extremal problem of integer linear programming with a set of cost objective functions has been developed in the medium of the analytical computing system. The computational experiment is used as a guiding heuristic tool in finding the optimal level of organization and economic efficiency of the cargo transportation process.Optimal combinations of distributions of the number of departure routes per loading stations and related plans of transportation to the reloading stations were found with the help of the Pareto criterion. The obtained values of cost indicators provide the participants of the transportation process with the opportunity to choose competitive options in transportation schemes using small port transshipment stations of the Azov-Black Sea basin.