Freight Modal Policies Toward A Sustainable Society

Freight transport policy analysts attempt to shift truck freight movements to rail so as to diminish transportation externalities including environmental costs and safety issues. Therefore, policy-makers need to be aware of the consequences of their decisions beforehand. This study is mainly focused on two policies targeting fuel price and access to rail transportation. A nation-wide freight mode choice model was developed for Iran, and shippers' tendency to choose rail or truck freight transportation was analyzed by considering the shipping time and cost, commodity weight, commodity type, and rail accessibility. Total fuel consumption and air pollution costs were compared in various scenarios. Based on the results, environmental transportation costs are significantly reduced as a result of the modal shift from truck to rail freight transportation if the government reallocates gasoline subsidy to the construction of prioritized railroads. (C) 2020 Sharif University of Technology. All rights reserved.