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Transport Mode Selection for Toxic Gases: Rail or Road?
Author(s) -
Bagheri Morteza,
Verma Manish,
Verter Vedat
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
risk analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.972
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1539-6924
pISSN - 0272-4332
DOI - 10.1111/risa.12063
Subject(s) - hazardous waste , truck , transport engineering , mode (computer interface) , mode of transport , dangerous goods , selection (genetic algorithm) , risk assessment , risk analysis (engineering) , engineering , computer science , business , public transport , computer security , waste management , operating system , artificial intelligence , aerospace engineering
A significant majority of hazardous materials (hazmat) shipments are moved via the highway and railroad networks, wherein the latter mode is generally preferred for long distances. Although the characteristics of highway transportation make trucks the most dominant surface transportation mode, should it be preferred for hazmat whose accidental release can cause catastrophic consequences? We answer this question by first developing a novel and comprehensive assessment methodology—which incorporates the sequence of events leading to hazmat release from the derailed railcars and the resulting consequence—to measure rail transport risk, and second making use of the proposed assessment methodology to analyze hazmat transport risk resulting from meeting the demand for chlorine and ammonia in six distinct corridors in North America. We demonstrate that rail transport will reduce risk, irrespective of the risk measure and the transport corridor, and that every attempt must be made to use railroads to transport these shipments.