Appraisal of cost function parameters in the strategic freight transportation network in Colombia

Abstract

Strategic freight transportation modeling has been a topic of growing interest because of its use for evaluating projects. One of the most important topics is to appraisal the parameters that define the level of service in links. This article presents the evaluation of the cost functions parameter, involving internal and external costs, which were applied to the intermodal network in Colombia, using a methodology that could be easily transferred to other transportation contexts. Considering different link typologies, we study the internal cost of time and operation, in addition to the five components of external costs: congestion, accidents, pollution, climate change, and damage on infrastructure. It was possible to estimate cost function parameters for different modes: road, rail and inland waterways, and to analyze the marginal costs on the Colombian freight transportation strategic network.