Available online at www.sciencedirect.

com
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
ScienceDirect
ScienceDirect
Transportation
Available Research
online Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000
at www.sciencedirect.com
Transportation Research Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000 www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia

ScienceDirect www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia

Transportation Research Procedia 39 (2019) 405–416

www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia

Green Cities 2018

Green Cities 2018
The role of railway in handling transport services of cities and
The role of railway in handling transport services of cities and
agglomerations
agglomerations
a, a,
Oliwia Pietrzaka,*, Krystian Pietrzaka,
a
Oliwia Pietrzak *, Krystian Pietrzak
Maritime University of Szczecin, Faculty of Economics and Transport Engineering, 11 Poboznego St., 70-507 Szczecin, Poland;
a
Maritime University of Szczecin, Faculty of Economics and Transport Engineering, 11 Poboznego St., 70-507 Szczecin, Poland;

Abstract
Abstract
The article discusses the changes in handling transport services of cities and agglomerations and the importance of railway in this
aspect.
The Considerations
article discusses theon changes
the transformation
in handlingoftransport
the transport market,
services beingand
of cities the agglomerations
effect of changesand onthe
the importance
market of goods and services
of railway in this
and economic
aspect. growth, the
Considerations reasons
on the for using railway
transformation transportmarket,
of the transport in servicing
beingurban and agglomeration
the effect of changes on the traffic wereofidentified.
market goods andFor many
services
years the features
and economic characterizing
growth, the reasons railfor
transport have constituted
using railway transport in a determinant
servicing urbanof itsand
useagglomeration
for the long-distance transport
traffic were of homogeneous
identified. For many
large cargo
years mass and
the features long-distance
characterizing of a significant
rail transport have constituted number of passengers.
a determinant of its useThe economic
for the growth,transport
long-distance and thusofthe increase in
homogeneous
requirements
large cargo mass on the transport
and market,transport
long-distance caused a of
significant development
a significant number of road transportThe
passengers. in the short term.
economic However,
growth, due the
and thus to the negative
increase in
external effects
requirements ongenerated by this
the transport transport,
market, causedasa well as the development
significant change in theoftransport policy in
road transport of the
individual countries
short term. and regions,
However, due to the steps have
negative
been taken
external towards
effects the inter-branch
generated diversification
by this transport, as well asof the
transport
changeservices. Togetherpolicy
in the transport with the dissemination
of individual of theand
countries concept of sustainable
regions, steps have
development,
been taken towardsprotection of the interests
the inter-branch of futureofgenerations
diversification and limitation
transport services. Togetherofwith emissions of harmfulofsubstances
the dissemination the conceptinto
of the natural
sustainable
environment, innovative
development, protection concepts, productsofand
of the interests services
future to meet the
generations andtasks of a modern
limitation and responsible
of emissions market
of harmful appeared.into
substances The the
purpose of
natural
this article wasinnovative
environment, to answerconcepts,
the following
productsquestion: Is theretoameet
and services possibility for of
the tasks raila transport
modern and to be an important
responsible element
market of sustainable
appeared. The purpose urban
of
transport
this articlesystems? Therefore,
was to answer the articlequestion:
the following presentsIsthe concept
there of usingforanrail
a possibility innovative
transport system
to be anofimportant
self-propelled
elementtrain compositions
of sustainable for
urban
handling transport
transport systems? services
Therefore, of the
cities and agglomerations.
article presents the concept Theseoftrain
usingcompositions,
an innovativedue to their
system limited length,train
of self-propelled theircompositions
own propulsion for
system, and
handling the control
transport cabins
services located
of cities andat agglomerations.
both sides of theThese train, train
can be an alternative
compositions, duefortohandling feederlength,
their limited and transfer services
their own in the
propulsion
agglomeration
system, and thearea, previously
control cabins implemented
located at both mainly
sidesby of means of road
the train, transport.
can be The research
an alternative area was
for handling Szczecin
feeder agglomeration
and transfer services with
in the
city of Szczecin.
agglomeration Considerations
area, and inferences
previously implemented wereby
mainly made on the
means basistransport.
of road of literature
Theanalysis,
researchdocumentary method,
area was Szczecin external observation
agglomeration with the
and of
city methods
Szczecin. of analysis and synthesis.
Considerations This publication
and inferences were made and/or
on the research
basis ofhave been analysis,
literature partially financed
documentaryundermethod,
the grant No 3/S/IZT/2018
external observation
financed
and methodsfromofa subsidy
analysisof thesynthesis.
and Ministry of Science
This and Higher
publication and/orEducation for statutory
research have activities.
been partially financed under the grant No 3/S/IZT/2018
financed from a subsidy of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education for statutory activities.
© 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
© 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
This
© is an
2018 The open accessPublished
Authors. article under the CC BY-NC-ND
by Elsevier B.V. license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Selection
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee
This is an and
open peer-review
access under
article underresponsibility
the CC of
BY-NC-NDthe scientific
license of
of Green
Green Logistics
Logistics for for Greener
Greener Cities
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
committee Cities 2018.
2018.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of Green Logistics for Greener Cities 2018.
Keywords: railway; rail transport; urban transport; freight transport; transport systems, sustainable development, agglomeration;
Keywords: railway; rail transport; urban transport; freight transport; transport systems, sustainable development, agglomeration;

*
Corresponding author. Tel.: +48 91 4809726 ; fax: +48 91 4809693,
*e-mail address: author.
o.pietrzak@am.szczecin.pl
Corresponding Tel.: +48 91 4809726 ; fax: +48 91 4809693,
e-mail address: o.pietrzak@am.szczecin.pl
2352-1465 © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
This is an open
2352-1465 access
© 2018 Thearticle under
Authors. the CC BY-NC-ND
Published license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
by Elsevier B.V.
Selection
This is an and
openpeer-review under
access article responsibility
under of the scientific
the CC BY-NC-ND licensecommittee of Green Logistics for Greener Cities 2018.
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of Green Logistics for Greener Cities 2018.

2352-1465  2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of Green Logistics for Greener Cities 2018.
10.1016/j.trpro.2019.06.043
406 Oliwia Pietrzak et al. / Transportation Research Procedia 39 (2019) 405–416
2 Oliwia Pietrzak, Krystian Pietrzak / Transportation Research Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000

1. Changes in handling transport services of cities and agglomerations

Cities are a product of human thought and work. They constitute important functional structures of particular
regions, considered both on a national and international scale. Defining a city as a settlement is not unambiguous;
the approach to this issue depends on the region of the world, its specificity and, above all, the level of development.
Regardless of the method of delimitation of the term “city”, it should be noted that it is a key location for capital,
work and information (Fang & Yu, 2017). On the one hand, cities are the foundation (cities were created from the
first civilizations), and on the other, the effect of urbanization processes (creation of new settlements such as
agglomerations, metropolises, conurbations, megalopolis or technopolis).
A number of factors influence the size, structure, degree and directions of development as well as the functional
specificity of cities. In this context of particular importance become demographic processes. The increase in the world's
population affects the need for the public to find a suitable place to live. The rate of concentration of population in cities
has not been the same everywhere; its significant variation is observed. Nevertheless, when analyzing data on the
number of people living in urban areas in the world and in Europe (Fig. 1) in terms of size and percentage (Fig. 2), there
has been an upward trend since 1950. Both in the world as well as in Europe, a further increase in the number of
inhabitants and the rate of urbanization is also forecasted. It is indicated that the urban population in 2050 in the world
will exceed over 66% of the total population. Only in Europe is supposed to be even more than 80%.

Figure 1. Annual Urban Population at Mid-Year (World&Europe), 1950-2050 (thousands)

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2014). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2014
Revision, CD-ROM Edition, available on-line: https://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/CD-ROM/

Figure 2. Annual Percentage of Population at Mid-Year Residing in Urban Areas (World&Europe), 1950-2050
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2014). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2014
Revision, CD-ROM Edition, available on-line: https://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/CD-ROM/
 Oliwia Pietrzak et al. / Transportation Research Procedia 39 (2019) 405–416 407
Oliwia Pietrzak, Krystian Pietrzak / Transportation Research Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000 3

Factors affecting settlement have been changing over the years. Originally, natural and geographical values as well
as historical and political aspects were of particular importance. With the development of civilization, the determinants
of economic, social, cultural and scientific nature, technical progress, as well as integration and globalization processes
have gained importance. An especially important aspect has become the dissemination of the so-called urban lifestyle,
determining the place of work, study, residence, or spending free time in the community of a given region.
The progressive phenomenon of concentration forces the creation and constant adaptation of an appropriate
transport system operating in the area of cities and urban areas. The transport system, as a relational whole, is to
provide effective transport services to its users and satisfy the demand for transport services, both current (effective)
and future (potential). Changes in the transport service of cities and agglomerations are related to a number of
phenomena occurring over the years in the world economy and society.
In the aspect of transporting goods, such factors include:
 distance of production points from consumption points,
 internationalization of entities implementing procurement, production, distribution and trade processes,
 development of teleinformation systems supporting procurement, production, distribution and trade processes,
 shortening the life cycle of products on the market,
 freedom of movement of people, capital, goods and services,
 freedom of technology, KNOW-HOW and innovation,
 progressive integration and globalization processes,
 growing market (customer) requirements in terms of on-time deliveries,
 fast economic development.
These factors influenced the intensification of trade in goods, internationally, nationally and in individual urban
areas. The intensive growth of commodity turnover caused the necessity of adjusting the transport market to new
realities in a short time. Due to the technical and organizational possibilities of meeting the growing market
requirements by road transport, its development has significantly increased. The transport service of commodity
turnover in urban areas has been dominated precisely by road transport.
Similar changes have occurred with regard to passenger traffic. Such factors include:
 the progressing phenomenon of urbanization,
 the dissemination of the so-called urban lifestyle,
 freedom of movement of people,
 increased mobility of the society,
 increase in the wealth of the society,
 popularizing the active form of spending free time,
 cultural and social penetration.
These factors have influenced the change in the public's perception of transport services as a form dedicated
exclusively to home-work / school-house commuting. Transport has become a means to meet the diverse needs of
society that has to meet the growing requirements of its users. The possibility of carrying out the “door to door” transport,
the dissemination of access to individual transport means, flexibility and high communication speed have resulted in the
popularization of road transport, including, in particular, handling individual urban and agglomeration transport services.
The observed changes in both freight and passenger transport in urban areas (but also in interregional and international
relations) have caused a number of negative effects on society, the economy and the environment. In view of the above,
there were serious challenges in the field of urban planning and management (Gross, 2016), including in the field of
transport policy. In response to the high rate of urbanization, authorities of urban and agglomeration areas in developing
countries are taking steps to develop and implement large-scale transport improvement programs (Cooke & Behrens, 2017).

2. Railway in handling transport services of cities and agglomerations

The processes taking place in the economy and society have stimulated changes on the transport market, generating
negative externalities. Rapid economic development was accompanied by an increase in the consumption of raw
materials, including energy, which resulted in increased environmental pollution (Wang & Chi Kin Lee & Zhang &
408 Oliwia Pietrzak et al. / Transportation Research Procedia 39 (2019) 405–416
4 Oliwia Pietrzak, Krystian Pietrzak / Transportation Research Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000

Chen & Li, 2018). Adaptation of the transport system to the growing demand on the market, through the intensive
development of road transport, caused a further increase in the negative impact on the natural environment and its
pollution generated by this transport. On the other hand, the fulfillment of quantitative and qualitative market
requirements by the transport system, in particular through road transport, and satisfaction of the growing demand for
transport services resulted in further economic growth and further increase in demand for transport services.
Simultaneously with the growing demand, changes in transport needs were observed - a further increase in
requirements not only of a quantitative but above all of a qualitative nature, including directness, availability,
timeliness, or security of supply. The growing use of road transport resulted in further negative effects on the natural
environment (emission of harmful substances, noise or land use), but at the same time led to the creation and dissemination
of congestion on the roads. An uncontrolled increase in the number of cars to handle both goods and passenger traffic,
resulted in a decrease in the safety of transport as well as an increase in external costs of transport (e.g. road accidents).
This approach is obviously simplified, as it omits many important market components, such as the production of
means of transport, technological progress, legal conditions, but it also allows understanding the general trends
observed in the transport system of urbanized areas.
The dependence of cities and urban areas on road transport as well as high external costs (measurable and
unmeasurable) generated by this transport have resulted in measures to diversify branches and means of transport within a
given transport system and to shift part of the cargo mass as well as passenger flows, towards more environmentally and
social friendly branches. The legal and postulative framework in this area arose both on the international arena, including
the European level (the so-called White and Green Papers of the European Commission), as well as national and local
levels (transport strategies and plans, laws, acts of local law). Cities and agglomeration areas, under the pressure of being
“innovative”, “smart” and “green”, are obliged to carry out a difficult task: creating, developing and maintaining efficient
urban transport systems (Angelidou & Genitsaris & Εl Aissati & Naniopoulos, 2017) .
The possibilities of using other means of transport than road transport in the urban areas are significantly limited.
They mainly result from a relatively small territorial range of service, limited access to nodal and linear
infrastructure of other branches, high density of housing intended for residential and social purposes, as well as the
lack of economic justification for their use. For this reason, the actions of decision-makers in this area are focused on
increasing the use of rail transport in cities and agglomerations.
Rail transport is one of the modes of land transport characterized by specific properties. The characteristics of rail
transport generally accepted in the literature are primarily (Pietrzak K., 2016):
 the ability to transport a significant load mass at once,
 ensuring a high level of transport safety,
 low vulnerability to unfavorable weather conditions,
 full dependence on the availability of infrastructure.
Additionally, from the point of view of handling traffic in urbanized areas, there should be mentioned (Pietrzak K., 2016):
 independence from road congestion,
 low occupancy rate of the linear infrastructure,
 limited emission of harmful substances into the environment per one load or one passenger,
 limited possibility of making railway connections in “door to door” relations,
 no possibility to avoid obstacles on the track in emergency situations,
 continuous support of the train operator by other entities operating on the railway market (e.g. infrastructure
managers, people regulating and controlling traffic) and extensive ICT systems,
 priorities for passenger trains in rail traffic in urban areas,
 central planning of timetables and their validity in a given time interval.
On the one hand, the impact of the presented features of railway predestines this mode of transport for the
implementation of specific transport services, on the other, it is the basis for the development of new solutions
enabling the use of railways for other new transport relations. The deteriorating condition of the natural environment,
the intensification of congestion on roads and the significant increase in external costs generated by the transport sector
have resulted in changes in the transport market as well as in the legislative and management sphere. Market authorities
and participants have begun to seek new solutions that would help implement a new sustainable transport policy. There
 Oliwia Pietrzak et al. / Transportation Research Procedia 39 (2019) 405–416 409
Oliwia Pietrzak, Krystian Pietrzak / Transportation Research Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000 5

has been a change in the perception of rail transport; its potential was recognized in handling both freight and passenger
traffic initially in interregional relations, and in recent years in urbanized areas. The synopsis of HORISON 2020
Transport projects shows that sustainable transport is the key topic in the European Union (Patlins, 2017).
In order to relieve the road transport of urban and agglomeration areas from the movement of individual vehicles
and to direct at least part of the demand towards collective transport, and in particular its more ecological branches,
concepts of urban, agglomeration and metropolitan railways appeared in the aspect of passenger traffic. The basic
assumption of their design and implementation is multifaceted integration, covering spatial, branch, infrastructural,
institutional, organizational and functional, transport, tariff and ticket, and information aspects (Pietrzak O., 2015).
City railways must also meet the needs of modern and constantly evolving centers. Cities no longer require
handling of only typical internal traffic on short distances at specific distances but they seek for a rail transport
system that is competitive with individual transport, hence: faster, providing a certain transport capacity, satisfying
the demand for long-distance transport carried out outside the city - in metropolitan areas (Jiang & Song & Shao,
2017). The concepts of passenger urban and metropolitan railways are developed and implemented in many cities in
Europe and the world, not only in the largest centers - capitals but also capitals of regions in specific countries. In
Poland, the last of the systems developed and intended for implementation includes the Szczecin Metropolitan
Railway. The authors of this study participated in the development of its Feasibility Study in 2014-2015.
Transport policy conducted at European, national and regional level, which is focused on the implementation of the
concept of sustainable development, cohesion and supporting the mobility of society, determines the need to develop ways
of shaping transport systems conducive to its implementation (Pietrzak O., 2015a). Considering that the transport sector is
responsible for 30% of CO2 emissions in the EU, and in urban areas even 40%, there is a noticeable increase in measures
taken to develop and implement solutions to improve transport efficiency. Such a high factor of emitting harmful substances
into the environment determines the necessity of introducing innovative solutions not only in the aspect of passenger transport
but also within the distribution of goods in urban and agglomeration areas (Navarro & Roca-Riu & Furió & Estrada, 2016).
In the aspect of the indicated unfavorable changes, more and more often the literature and business practice
mentions all kinds of concepts related to the so-called LRT (Light Rail Transit) or LRS (Light Rail System). These
systems relate both to the handling of passenger and freight transport, and their distinguishing feature over
traditional trains is primarily the lightweight design of the means of transport, which allows them to work on lines
with high inclination and tight arches (Knowles & Ferbrache, 2016). This means that they can, to a much greater
extent than the traditionally understood railway, take an active part in servicing passenger and freight traffic in
urbanized areas. In contrast to the traditional railway, trains used in LRT/LRS systems are much shorter - therefore
less space is required for their operation (shorter platforms, shorter sidings).
While reviewing the literature in this area, it can be pointed out that LRT/LRS systems constitute a modern
element of railway services, the main role of which is to support urban development, as well as reducing congestion
in urban traffic (Zhou & Liu & YuLiu, 2016). Therefore, this system can significantly influence the creation of
sustainable, friendly cities and urban areas (Ferbrache & Knowles, 2017), and its technical characteristics make it an
excellent alternative to traditional forms of transport (Martín & Calvo & Hermoso & Oña, 2014).
A common feature of LRT/LRS systems for the passenger and freight transport is the ability to quickly move
between areas of the agglomeration, resulting from the use of railway infrastructure, independent of the transport
congestion present in these areas and, above all, reducing the negative impact of transport on the environment. On
the other hand, the question of the capacity of trains is different. In the case of passenger transport, such solutions are
characterized by a much larger capacity than traditional means of rail transport, which allows a significant number of
passengers to be transported by one train. In the aspect of freight transport, the analyzed solution is characterized by
limited transport capacity and minimization of the dimensions of the train. This makes it easier to navigate around
limited urban space and use limited capacitive urban transport infrastructure. In this case, instead of the traditional
multi-car trains, special trams (CargoTram in Dresden) are used for transporting goods inside urbanized areas.
Recently, there are also concepts of adapting metro vehicles (Tyne and Wear Metro) for this purpose (Kelly &
Marinov, 2017). These solutions usually allow the transport of selected loads - mainly general cargo, palletized cargo.
A special form of cargo transport in urban areas with slightly different rules and possibilities from the system
described earlier is the Light Freight Railway (LFR) system proposed by the authors. Although the common feature
with the previously indicated system is the possibility of transporting cargo inside an urbanized area, in this case it is
possible to transport containerized cargo. The LFR system is based on trains used in the test at the end of the 1990s by
410 Oliwia Pietrzak et al. / Transportation Research Procedia 39 (2019) 405–416
6 Oliwia Pietrzak, Krystian Pietrzak / Transportation Research Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000

German railways under the Cargo Sprinter brand. Such a train consisted of five cars, two outer of which are equipped
with control cabins and internal combustion engines. Each self-propelled train could work independently, without the
participation of a locomotive, and due to the number of cars, it could transport up to ten 20-foot containers at once. The
idea of autonomous Cargo Sprinter trains consisted in the independent transport of cargo from the supplier to the
recipient, while the individual train compositions were combined with each other after reaching the common railway
transport hub,. Such a quasi train composition in the target hub was disassembled to further deliver the load directly to
the recipient, again as a single train composition. However, further testing has been suspended.
According to the authors, one of the reasons for the failure of the Cargo Sprinter system was a kind of conflict
between the characteristics of the train composition and the way it was used. The train was designed as a direct
competitor of the road transport - and therefore its design would be simple and light, which would help to minimize fuel
consumption. On the other hand, such a construction made it difficult to combine individual train compositions and
form block train compositions from them. Taking into account the remarks indicated, the authors propose the re-
implementation of conceptual work on the use of self-propelled trains, but in a completely different form. The idea of
the Light Freight Railway concept (more on this topic - Pietrzak, 2016) is the use of autonomous self-propelled train
compositions with their own propulsion system to handle the transport between the supplier and the nearest railway
transport hub. The train would have to reach the nodal infrastructure of the shipper, collect the cargo (container(s)) and
then deliver it to the place where after reloading it would be part of the cargo mass carried by a traditional train, e.g.
a train operating in a hub-hub system. The self-propelled train composition could thus be a competitive means of transport
in comparison to lorries that have so far been performing the feeder-transfer function in the intermodal transport system.
Details of the implementation of the transport process with the LFR solution are presented in Fig. 3. There are
presented two solutions on it: A and B. In both of them, transport between H1 and H2 hubs is carried out using the
traditional set of trains operating in the shuttle system. The difference is in handling transport within the agglomeration.
Solution A used only road transport to service the delivery system inside the agglomeration area (deliveries to the H1
hub), while the B solution used both road transport and the LFR system to service deliveries to the H1 hub.
 Oliwia Pietrzak et al. / Transportation Research Procedia 39 (2019) 405–416 411
Oliwia Pietrzak, Krystian Pietrzak / Transportation Research Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000 7

AGLOMERATIONS
AREA
A B
D H2
H1
H1
C SOLUTION - A

AGLOMERATIONS
AREA
A B
D H2
H1
H1
C SOLUTION - B
LEGEND:
traditional composition
A B loading/unloading points
LFR
lorries H1 H2 consolidation/deconsolidation hubs

Figure 3. Comparison of the combined transport process without (solution A) and with LFR (solution B)
Own Source

3. Evaluation of the possibility of increasing the share of rail transport in handling freight transport in
agglomeration areas (example of the Szczecin agglomeration)

A particularly difficult challenge is to increase the share of rail transport in urban areas. It is due e.g. to spatial
constraints related to the historical development of settlements (Montwiłł, 2016), a limited number of necessary
nodal and linear railway infrastructure and the above-mentioned special features that distinguish rail transport. In
addition, it should be noted that many years ago complex urban areas had a dense railway network (including
sidings); however, due to the dynamic increase in the share of road transport, this infrastructure was used less and
less, and eventually became partially or completely degraded (Motraghi, Marinov, 2012). Consequently, it also
resulted in the closure of certain sections of railway lines and a change in the manner of land development, on which
they were located, without the possibility of their reconstruction – for example, the construction of new road or
cycling infrastructure.
The Szczecin Agglomeration, which is the basis for the analyzes conducted by the authors, is an area with certain
characteristic features. It is located in the north-western part of Poland, in the West Pomeranian Region. The central
and strongest urbanized center of the region is the city of Szczecin, which is also its capital. The agglomeration has a
monocentric character, which means that it is concentrated in one Central Business District (CBD) (Arribas-Bel &
Sanz-Gracia, 2014). The CBD has a dominant character, while the remaining city centers play a supporting role with
limited functions (e.g. only residential, service or industrial).
The specificity of the Szczecin agglomeration is determined by the seaport located in the city of Szczecin, which
is one of the three basic ports for the country's economy. Its functioning is determined by e.g.:
412 Oliwia Pietrzak et al. / Transportation Research Procedia 39 (2019) 405–416
8 Oliwia Pietrzak, Krystian Pietrzak / Transportation Research Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000

 possibility of area development of the city (e.g. excluding port areas from housing and social functions),
 location of entities cooperating with the port (of various character and economic specifics),
 the need to provide transport service for increased streams of cargo passing through the city area and
agglomerations,
 directions of development of land transport infrastructure (both road and rail),
 increased passenger flows (e.g. places of education and work related to maritime economy and transport sector,
organization of cultural events related to the functioning of the port).
As part of the “Feasibility Study of the Szczecin Metropolitan Railway” conducted in 2014-2015, with study
updates in 2016 and 2017, the authors have made extensive research into the transport system of the Szczecin
agglomeration. Although the elaboration referred to the construction of a modern, integrated multi-aspect railway
passenger service system in the region, sharing the railway infrastructure between passenger and freight carriers
influenced the possibility of extending research also to those related to rail freight transport.
Observations have shown that there are many potential production and service points in the Szczecin
agglomeration area, which are located in the immediate vicinity of railway lines and sidings. Despite the fact that
individual entities (enterprises) usually do not have their own railway siding, they are located more often in
technology and industrial parks, which as a kind of area managers, guarantee access to transport infrastructure,
including railway infrastructure. Such organization of production and services gives the opportunity to reduce the
operating costs of individual entities, and also enables joint use of existing infrastructure.
Examples of locations of entities/set of entities capable of using the LFR system are indicated in Fig. 4 and 5.
They include:
 (1) – Baltic Business Park,
 (2) – a complex of shopping and service centers located near the Szczecin Dabie railway station,
 (3) – Dunikowo Business Park,
 (4) – Szczecin - Goleniow Airport.

2 3

Figure 4. Selected potential points capable of operating the LFR system in the Szczecin agglomeration area
Own source based on the map from: https://www.openstreetmap.org/
 Oliwia Pietrzak et al. / Transportation Research Procedia 39 (2019) 405–416 413
Oliwia Pietrzak, Krystian Pietrzak / Transportation Research Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000 9

1 2

Figure 5. Detailed location of the selected railway nodal infrastructure in the Szczecin agglomeration area capable of operating the LFR system
Own source based on the map from: https://www.openstreetmap.org/

Despite the access to the railway infrastructure in the Szczecin agglomeration, potential buyers / receivers usually
do not use this transport. The factors determining the choice of road transport for the delivery include:
 lack of sufficient load mass for a one-off implementation of the transport order with the block train composition,
 poor technical condition of the nodal infrastructure limiting the permissible pressure on the train car axle,
 limited number of tracks in the siding area (hindering the operation of the block train composition),
 the need for the shipper to have a maneuvering locomotive that allows the handling of train cars.
An additional factor favoring the future use of rail transport for freight services (including the LFR system) in the
area of the analyzed agglomeration is the fact that as part of the construction of the Szczecin Metropolitan Railway, a
comprehensive modernization of the railway infrastructure along with traffic management systems will be carried out
until 2022. These elements will increase the potential for infrastructure allocation, also for freight vehicles.
It is also worth noting that the characteristic feature of a solution based on the LFR concept is its autonomy. This
means that the implementation of this solution on one part of the transport process does not require its introduction on
the remaining sections, while guaranteeing connection with the general transport network. This gives the possibility of
an individual approach through a given area to the issue of organizing a feeder and transfer system to specific transport
hubs. Therefore, the introduction of solutions based on the concept of LFR in the Szczecin agglomeration does not
force similar solutions for other participants in the transport processes implemented by the analyzed agglomeration.
414 Oliwia Pietrzak et al. / Transportation Research Procedia 39 (2019) 405–416
10 Oliwia Pietrzak, Krystian Pietrzak / Transportation Research Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000

4. Selected limitations and effects of implementing solutions based on the LFR (Light Freight Railway)
concept in handling transport services of cities and agglomerations

For many years, the European Union has been struggling with an uncontrolled increase in the share of road transport
in the transport market (both in the aspect of passenger and freight transport), which due to its flexibility, availability
and reliability (Guglielminetti & Piccioni & Fusco & Licciardell &, Musso, 2017) gradually takes over shares in the
transport services market. The mentioned phenomenon is growing dynamically, due to the observed increasing
fragmentation of commodity flows, increasing frequency of deliveries, increasing number of their addresses, or lower
level of stocks and just in time deliveries (Kin & Verlinde & Macharis, 2017). Therefore, numerous attempts are being
made to stimulate railway transport to competitive struggle on the market (Pietrzak K., 2015); these are, among others
legislative, organizational or technical measures.
One of the proposals supporting these measures is the Light Freight Railway (LFR) concept presented. Despite
the fact that it is, as already mentioned, an autonomous solution, it should be remembered that it already exists in a
comprehensive set of measures (Makarova & Pashkevich & Shubenkova, 2017). Developed and implemented in a
specific area (in a city, agglomeration or region), the solution must be part of a coherent transport policy.
Implementation of the concept may bring certain positive effects, which, however, may be aggravated by the
complementary solutions implemented. It should be remembered that implementation of a given solution is also
burdened with certain limitations.
The authors would like to point out that the implementation of solutions based on the Light Freight Railway
concept in specific urban areas requires detailed technical, economic and social analyzes, taking into account the
conditions and needs of the area. However, while addressing the problem at the general level, there should be
pointed out the selected limitations for the implementation of the indicated solutions, as well as the expected positive
effects of their application. The list of selected limitations and effects identified for the LFR concept is contained in
Table 1 and Table 2.

Table 1. Selected limitations for the implementation of solutions based on the LFR concept in handling transport services of cities and
agglomerations
Limitations
 perceiving rail transport as a mode dedicated to a large cargo mass and long distances
 habit of cargo managers to use road transport to transport cargo in urban areas
 the need to estimate the economic effects by cargo managers associated with the change of the means of transport
 the required direct access to the rail transport infrastructure of the shipper and / or the recipient
 the way of organization of transport in rail transport based on the timetable set for the given time period and the given area
 the need to maintain the quality of existing railway transport infrastructure required for transport safety or the need to build new sections
Own source

Table 2. Expected effects from the implementation of solutions based on the LFR concept in handling transport services of cities and
agglomerations
Effects
 limiting the use of road transport in urban areas
 relieving road transport infrastructure in urban areas
 limiting the phenomenon of transport congestion in urban areas
 increased safety on roads in urban areas by limiting the number of vehicles
 noise reduction, especially in residential areas
 reduction of emissions to the environment of harmful substances generated by road transport
 the possibility of using the existing railway transport infrastructure, including the revitalization of sections that have not yet been
used in the given area
 improvement of transport efficiency in areas using the LFR concept, due to the higher transport capacity of the proposed rail
transport in relation to the road transport used so far in these areas
 improvement of the quality of life of city residents
Own source

As shown in Table 1, the limitations for the implementation of the LFR concept relate mainly to two aspects:
habits of transport market participants, as well as the qualitative and quantitative status of rail transport
 Oliwia Pietrzak et al. / Transportation Research Procedia 39 (2019) 405–416 415
Oliwia Pietrzak, Krystian Pietrzak / Transportation Research Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000 11

infrastructure. However, the problem of infrastructure condition concerns every mode of transport, and the habits of
transport market participants may be partially shaped by the national and European transport policy.
The selected effects from the implementation of solutions based on the LFR concept presented in Table 2 relate to
a number of aspects, including functioning of a sustainable transport system, improvement of safety, quality of the
environment and life of the society. It is also worth noting that in addition to the expected effects from the
implementation of solutions based on the LFR concept, as well as those indicated in Table 2, there will also be those
resulting from the features of railway transport listed in the previous part of the article (e.g. low degree of
vulnerability to weather conditions or possible high transport speed).

Summary

The transport policy implemented by the European Union, focused on the principles of sustainable development,
multifaceted integration and shifting part of cargo and passenger flows towards transport modes with a smaller
negative impact on the environment, enforces the development and implementation of concepts and solutions that
meet these assumptions. Due to the progressive development of urbanized areas and the significant intensification of
the use of road transport in these areas, the concepts of sustainable urban transport systems become particularly
important. Taking into account the area constraints of cities and agglomerations, as well as the socio-economic
specificity of these areas, these systems should be largely based on rail transport. It is worth noting that sustainable
urban transport system requires the strengthening of various features of the system, including accessibility and
mobility, reliability and efficiency, as well as safety and security, social equity, convenience and comfort. It should
be people- and environmental-friendly (Yatskiv & Budilovich, 2016).
The considerations presented in this article have shown that rail transport can be an important element of
sustainable urban transport systems. The solution that can contribute to taking over a part of the load weight by rail
transport in metropolitan areas may be the innovative Light Freight Railway (LFR) concept. The implementation of
the LFR system may also contribute to achieving real benefits for the agglomeration, the environment and society,
however, it requires financial outlays for transport infrastructure, effective decisions and actions of national, regional
and local authorities to change the habits of transport market participants, as well as the involvement of cargo
managers in development of sustainable transport in agglomeration areas.

References

Angelidou M., Genitsaris E., Εl Aissati H., Naniopoulos A. (2017), The effect of major market and societal trends on public transport in
European cities, Transportation Research Procedia 24, 105–112
Arribas-Bel D., Sanz-Gracia F. (2014), The validity of the monocentric city model in a polycentric age: US metropolitan areas in 1990, 2000 and
2010, Urban Geography, 35:7, 980-997
Cooke S., Behrens R. (2017), Correlation or cause? The limitations of population density as an indicator for public transport viability in the
context of a rapidly growing developing city, Transportation Research Procedia 25, 3003–3016
Fang Ch., Yu D. (2017), Urban agglomeration: An evolving concept of an emerging phenomenon, Landscape and Urban Planning 162, 126–136
Ferbrache F., Knowles R.D. (2017), City boosterism and place-making with light rail transit: A critical review of light rail impacts on city image
and quality. Geoforum, 80, 103-113
Gross M. (2016), The urbanisation of our species, Current Biology 26, R1205-R1208
Guglielminetti, P.; Piccioni, C.; Fusco, G.; Licciardello, R.; Musso, A. (2017), Rail Freight Network in Europe: Opportunities Provided by
Relaunching the Single Wagonload System. Transportation Research Procedia, 25, 5185–5204
Jiang J., Song J., Shao Y. (2017), Structural comparison and enlightenment for regional rails in metropolitan areas, Transportation Research
Procedia 25, 2980–2989
Kelly J., Marinov M. (2017), Innovative Interior Designs for Urban Freight Distribution Using Light Rail Systems, Urban Rail Transit, Volume 3,
Issue 4, 238–254
Kin, B.; Verlinde, S.; Macharis, C. (2017), Sustainable urban freight transport in megacities in emerging markets, Sustainable Cities and Society,
32, 31-41
Knowles, D.K.; Ferbrache, F. (2016) Evaluation of wider economic impacts of light rail investment on cities. Journal of Transport Geography, 54,
430 – 439
Makarova I., Pashkevich A., Shubenkova K. (2017), Ensuring Sustainability of Public Transport System through Rational Management, Procedia
Engineering, 178, 137 – 146
416 Oliwia Pietrzak et al. / Transportation Research Procedia 39 (2019) 405–416
12 Oliwia Pietrzak, Krystian Pietrzak / Transportation Research Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000

Martín L., Calvo F., Hermoso A., Oña J. (2014), Analysis of Light Rail Systems in Spain According to Their Type of Funding. Procedia - Social
and Behavioral Sciences, 162, 419-428
Motraghi, A.; Marinov, M.V. (2012), Analysis of urban freight by rail using event based simulation. Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory,
25, 73–89
Montwiłł, A. (2016) The impact of the development of seaport objective functions for a cargo logistics system in urban areas, illustrated with an
example of the Szczecin Metropolis, Transportation Research Procedia 16, 366 – 377
Navarro C., Roca-Riu M., Furió S., Estrada M. (2016), Designing new models for energy efficiency in urban freight transport for smart cities and
its application to the Spanish case, Transportation Research Procedia 12, 314 – 324
Patlins A. (2017), Improvement of sustainability definition facilitating sustainable development of public transport system, Procedia Engineering
192, 659 – 664
Pietrzak K. (2016), Analysis of the possibilities of using “Light Freight Railway” for the freight transport implementation in agglomeration areas
(example of West Pomerania Province), Transportation Research Procedia 16, 464 – 472
Pietrzak, K. (2015), Evaluation of selected competitiveness factors of the freight rail market in Poland, Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu
Szczecińskiego No. 886, Problemy Transportu i Logistyki, No. 32, p. 51 – 60
Pietrzak O. (2015), Systemy transportu pasażerskiego w regionach – funkcjonowanie, kształtowanie, rozwój (przykład województwa
zachodniopomorskiego), Wydawnictwo Bel Studio, Szczecin, p. 1-286
Pietrzak O. (2015a), The role of local self-government in shaping the passenger transport system in the regions on the example of West
Pomerania Province, Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego No. 886, Problemy Transportu i Logistyki, No. 32, p. 61-73
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2014), World Urbanization Prospects: The 2014 Revision,
CD-ROM Edition
Wang N., Chi Kin Lee J., Zhang J., Chen H., Li H.(2018), Evaluation of Urban circular economy development: An empirical research of 40 cities
in China, Journal of Cleaner Production 180, 876-887
Yatskiv (Jackiva) I. , Budilovich E. (2016), Evaluating Riga Transport System Accessibility, Procedia Engineering 178, 480 – 490
Zhou L., Liu Y-J.,Yu L., Liu Y. (2016), Research on the Spatial-System-Based Rail Transit, Systems of the World Cities, Procedia Engineering,
137, 699 – 708