X.L. Yuan
Study of the Baggage Handling System for the Ferry Terminal Holwerd.
Masters thesis,
Report 2004.TL.6874, Transport Engineering and Logistics.
In this report, the baggage handling system on the ferry terminal
Holwerd is studied. In the present situation, the ferry company
Wagenborg uses the baggage train system to handle the baggage for the
passengers between the terminal Holwerd and the island Ameland.
So far the baggage train system is composed of one truck and two identical
baggage cars and located behind the port building.
The service objective of the baggage train is mainly focused on the passengers
who arrive at the terminal with much baggage by car and want to stay on the
island Ameland for a more than just one day. They will leave their cars
in the long term parking area of the terminal Holwerd. These passengers
are named 'CarPeople' in this report.
Two possible alternative policies to the present situation are introduced
in this report. The main difference between the alternative policies and
the present situation is the location of the baggage train system.
- The first alternative policy is to separate the baggage train into
three parts, the truck and two baggage cars, and locate them in different
positions: the truck and one baggage car are located at the parking area;
the other baggage car is still behind the port building.
- In the second alternative policy, the baggage train is looked upon as
one unit again and located at the entrance of the parking area.
To compare and evaluate all possible policies a simulation model needs to
be built.
So in this report, firstly a basic model is built representing the present
situation of the ferry terminal Holwerd. For the two alternative
policies, the simulation models are built on the base of the basic model. After
the simulation models are built, multiple experiments are done.
To evaluate all possible policies for the baggage train system of the
ferry terminal, all results of simulation experiments need to be compared
with each other regarding of several relevant aspects. Those aspects
are:
- the number of CarPeople on the ferry
- the number of bags that can be transported by the baggage train
- the average walking distance for the passengers with their baggage
between the parking area and the baggage train
- the number of cars waiting at the entrance of the parking area
From the results, several conclusions are drawn:
- All three policies serve CarPeople almost the same.
- The second alternative policy serves Baggage a little bit better.
- When the second alternative policy is applied the average walking
distance for CarPeople with their baggage is 0.
- In present situation and the first alternative policy there is no car
waiting at the entrance of the parking area.
- But in the second alternative policy the number of cars waiting at the
entrance has relations with the time used by one car to handle the baggage
and the maximum allowable number of cars to deliver the baggage at the
same time at the entrance.
So for the ferry company, if they want to improve their service level,
they must think over all the aspects of each situation. Considering
several advantages of the second alternative policy, it could be a way to
improve the service level for the ferry company. However, the ferry
company has to make facilities for the cars at the entrance, either
waiting or delivering baggage, to keep the traffic smooth.
In this report only three simulation models are involved. Further
optimization can be achieved by developing the models described in this
report.
Reports on Transport Engineering and Logistics (in Dutch)
Modified: 2004.09.22;
logistics@3mE.tudelft.nl
, TU Delft
/ 3mE
/ TT
/ LT.