Article

Formulation and Solution of a Risk Assessment Framework to Mitigate the Threat of Rail Transport of Hazardous Materials

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Abstract

ABSTRACT This research presents a unique opportunity to investigate an innovative train assembly process to mitigate the risks associated with the rail transport of hazardous materials (HAZMAT). This paper presents the formulation and solution of a risk assessment framework for moving HAZMAT by rail transport. The US Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) databases have been used to develop a risk minimization model for application that incorporates in-transit risk as well as rail-yard train assembly cost/time constraints. The research problem is formulated as a mixed integer programming problem which will be solved using the CPLEX software. The merits of the proposed model are illustrated through a case study highlighting the inadequacies of previous studies. Keywords: Train assembly, rail transport, hazardous materials, mixed integer programming problem.

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... Kim and Jeong [16] used the FMECA method to evaluate the consequences of brake system failure in a railroad vehicle and then analysed the adequacy of preventive maintenance (PM) programmes for the asset. Recently, Rahbar and Bagheri [17] presented a framework to evaluate the risks associated with moving hazardous materials (hazmat) by rail transport. As the review shows, very few studies assessing the criticality of railway rolling stock component failures and the subsequent impacts on infrastructure services have been conducted so far. ...
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