Modulvogntog - Nu og i fremtiden

Abstract

Projektet tager udgangspunkt i regeringens vedtagelse af en 3-årig forsøgsordning med modulvogntog på et afgrænset vejnet bestående af det overordnede motorvejsnet. Med udsigt til en skævvridning i konkurrenceevnen mellem de erhvervsområder, som henholdsvis har og ikke har adgang til forsøgsvejnettet, sættes der i projektet spørgsmålstegn ved omfanget af forsøgsvejnettet. I denne forbindelse undersøges det, om det er geometrisk muligt at indføre vogntogene på strækninger, som ligger uden for motorvejsnettet. Gennem analyse af større erhvervsvirksomheders og knudepunkters placering anbefales det i projektet, at forsøgordningen udvides til at omfatte mere end blot det overordnede motorvejnet. Med udgangspunkt i modulvogntogenes større arealbehov, samt at trafikvejnettet ikke er dimensioneret efter disse vogntog, udvælges der i projektet en række typetilfælde for kryds, som hyppigt optræder udenfor motorvejsnettet. De krydstyper, som menes at kunne udgøre et problem i forbindelse med modulvogntogenes arealbehov, bliver i projektet undersøgt gennem et digitalt konstrueret modulvogntog. På baggrund af rapporten konkluderes det at de geometriske problemer ved at indføre modulvogntog på hele statsvejnettet vil være overkommelige.

Through the recent decades the subversion of trade barriers between regions and countries, increased economical wealth and growing global trade have led to a rising demand for the transportation of goods. This development has caused increased competition in the transportation industry. Higher demands for flexibility and low transportation costs in the supply chain mean that providers constantly try to rationalize their transports in order to minimize costs and to be able to compete. To accomplish that, the trend in the industry goes toward optimizing transportation capabilities by increasing the amount of cargo that each loadcarrier can hold. However political provisions regarding dimensions and weight have been slowing down the progress. But in recent years many European countries, including Denmark, have worked towards meeting requests to allow longer combinations of road trains. In Denmark the result is the passing of a three-year trial arrangement concerning the use of the so-called modular road trains. At first the decision will affect the freeway network as well as a few roads in connection with major freight junctions. For financial and safety purposes it has been politically decided to exclude the remaining road system from the trial arrangement – a decision that has caused discontent among parts of the industry without access to the freeway network. It is feared that this kind of limitation to the accessibility of the modular road trains will dictate the various industrial region’s ability to compete freely amongst each other. Based on the rather large area needs of the modular road trains this project will examine whether there is geometrical instance in allowing them on other and smaller roads than the ones assigned in the trial agreement. For introduction legislation, the experiential foundation and the driving technicalities related to modular road trains will be presented in an attempt to create a general view of the transport technology. Subsequently the project will analyze the industrial structure in Denmark, localizing the transport generating industries. By registering areas with a significant concentration of transport heavy industries, we’ll offer an assessment of the possible needs for modular road trains outside the road systems designated by the trial agreement. Based on these assessments one road stretch will be singled out for further analysis. For the selected stretch a analysis will be made with the purpose of registering the instances in which the large area needs of the modular road trains will be in conflict with the geometrical elaboration of the road network. The most critical instances will be emphasized and compared, based on technical maps of the space requirements of the modular road trains in order to evaluate the extent of the geometrical problems. The conclusion of the modular road trains’ thoroughfare of the selected intersections is that these vehicles have a larger area need than the typical heavy road vehicles, but generally the geometrical problems are manageable. The back wheels of the modular road trains’ rear wagon will cross the edge lines of the traffic markings when turning at traffic intersections. But that can be solved relatively easy by establishing passing areas. Generally speaking the implementation of modular road trains will mean a final deathblow to the national transportation of goods by railroad as this kind of transportation will have difficulties competing with the flexibility that the modular road trains offer among other things.

A master thesis from Aalborg University

Modulvogntog - Nu og i fremtiden

[Modular Roadtrains - Now and ind the future]