Intermodal hinterland network design with multiple actors

Hinterland transportation has become increasingly critical for efficient global container supply chain performance. This paper analyzes the implications of the common presence of multiple actors in intermodal hinterland supply chains. We propose several models to analyze the objectives of the different actors and develop structural properties of the actors’ behavior. Our results show that, in general, the objectives of the different actors involved in the design of intermodal hinterland networks are not aligned. We also show that the actors’ behavior should be taken into consideration in the design phase of intermodal hinterland networks and that the impact of being overly optimistic when estimating these actors’ behavior may be substantial. The proposed results provide a better understanding of the dynamics of intermodal hinterland networks and can help achieve better coordination across the container supply chain.