Green Supply Chain Sustainability Applications Road to Rail Strategy

This research explored innovative approaches using rail over road transportation, with a primary objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the parcel network while meeting delivery service standards and reducing transportation costs. The potential of intermodal transportation was investigated, emphasizing the shift of parcel volumes from road to rail. The research critically examines the barriers faced by operators, including heavy reliance on fossil fuels and the complexities of modern parcel logistics (e.g., parcel size, weight, packaging requirements). Findings reveal the high environmental benefits of rail freight, which emits approximately 75% less GHG than trucking, highlighting a critical gap in practical frameworks for the road-to-rail strategy. The main research question defined was: “How to redesign postal services’ parcel transportation network to reduce transportation costs while reducing carbon emissions?” A Linear Search Algorithm was used, and a decision-support dashboard was developed to enable postal services to evaluate the feasibility of incorporating rail into their logistics processes. The model aggregates a wide range of key variables to facilitate decision-making, including the rail schedule matrix, delivery standards matrix, cut-off timetable, truck travel time matrix, rail distance matrix, truck distance matrix, and daily parcel volume forecast. By providing empirical insights and actionable solutions, this research contributes significantly to the literature on green logistics within the postal industry, addressing the critical challenge of GHG emissions in parcel transportation while offering a clear roadmap for postal operators to transition toward more sustainable practices.