Simulation analysis of the impact of container wagon pin configuration on the train loading time in the intermodal terminal

The article presents the issues of a container train loading at the land intermodal terminal. This issue was considered from the point of view of the distance covered by the loading devices and the duration of loading works, which was influenced by the arrangement of containers on the storage yard and the configuration of pins on the wagons. The conducted research was dictated by the small number of publications on loading an intermodal train, especially from the point of view of pin configuration on wagons. The vast majority of the literature is devoted in this field to marine intermodal terminals, which operating characteristics are different from inland terminals. The importance of this problem resulting from the growing turnover of containers transported by rail transport was also pointed out. The systematic increase of this type of transport and the depletion of the intermodal services' operating capability makes it necessary to improve the train loading process. For the purposes of the research, the issues of containers of various sizes loading onto wagons planning with various pin configurations were presented. A literature review was carried out in the field of train loading methods and strategies. A mathematical model was developed for the decision situation under consideration. The equations defining the most important elements of the considered problem were presented in the general form. This model was implemented in the FlexSim simulation environment. The constructed simulation model was used to develop 12 variants of the approach to an intermodal train loading. The train loading tests were performed both for the random arrangement of containers on the storage yard and for the random arrangement of pins on the wagons. The obtained results made it possible to determine how the knowledge of the arrangement of pins on the wagons influences the planning of train loading and increases the efficiency of loading devices.