The optimal routes and modes selection in multimodal transportation networks based on improved A* algorithm

We build an integrated optimization model for the choice of transport mode and transport route in the multimodal transportation networks. The proposed optimization model consider the following factors, such as transport cost, transport time, transfer cost, transfer time, schedule of railway or water way, congestion of highway, frequency of accident, and frequent route under specific requirements. An improved A∗ algorithm with time window is presented to solve the proposed optimization under the gridding multimodal transportation network. This improved algorithm mainly designs a weighted evaluation function to integrate above factors for dynamically choosing transport routes and transport modes. Numerical example shows that the improved algorithm can obtain the optimal transport modes and routs simultaneously. It also that the proposed algorithm is extendable by using the weighted evaluation function.

I. Introduction

With the diversified forms of logistics transport mode and route gradually improving. The choice of transport mode and optimization of transport route in multimodal transportation networks have become a focus issue in the field of logistics and transportation. In the multimodal transportation networks, optimization of transport mode and transport route is influence by unit transport cost, unit transport time, transfer cost, transfer time, timetable of railway or water way or airline, congestion of highway, frequency of accident, and historical frequent route under specific requirements. For example, when the customers choose a kind of goods to transport, they would like to choose a route more frequent for this kind of goods. It is an optimization problem with multiple constraints.