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This paper discusses the concept of using a metropolitan railway network to transport freight directly to a city centre from the surrounding businesses. Specifically we look in depth at the Tyne and Wear Metro system, situated in Newcastle upon Tyne, to determine if such a scheme would be feasible. Through research into the modes of transport available, along with a review of literature and case studies, it was found that the current method of transporting the majority of freight by road is unsustainable and damaging to both the environment and local communities. Other options for the transportation of freight have been reviewed, and results showed that a modal shift will be necessary in the near future. The system was then modelled using software provided by the Department for Transport, which demonstrated that the implementation of such a scheme would provide vast accident savings, a reduction in the number of casualties on the road, and a monetary saving as a result of the lower casualty rate. The conclusion was reached that the scheme is viable; however, further research and study are necessary before implementation.

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This paper concentrates on organising, planning and managing the train movement in a network. The three classic management levels for rail planning, i.e., strategic, tactical and operational, are introduced followed by decision support systems for rail traffic control. In addition, included in this paper are discussions on train operating forms, railway traffic control and train dispatching problems, rail yard technical schemes and performance of terminals, as well as timetable design. A description of analytical methods, simulation techniques and specific computer packages for analysing and evaluating the behaviour of rail systems and networks is also provided. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd

This paper proposes a newly designed system for baggage transfer, which utilises the Nexus Metro system in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne by running a pendulum freight train system between the Haymarket and Newcastle Airport to carry travellers' baggage. This system is capable of serving all passengers departing from Newcastle Airport in a day, with a capacity of 9750 bags across 26 freight train journeys. Following the initial solution two more solutions were designed with the aim of maximising the utilisation of the metro tracks by saturating the system with freight trains on a 24-h system. All solutions have been replicated using models designed and validated by event-based simulation using SIMUL8, a simulation modelling software package.

High levels of pollution and congestion in urban centres are an increasing concern for local councils in the UK. Heavy goods vehicles delivering urban freight to city centres are a leading cause of this problem. This paper discusses the concept of using light rail networks to deliver freight to city centres from surrounding businesses. Specifically, various innovative designs are considered for the interior of the metro carriage and developed into visual models using Autodesk Inventor software. A full evaluation of all the designs developed is completed, resulting in a proposed design for consideration. The conclusion reached is that the proposed interior design is viable and coincides with the future metro fleet designs and concepts.

This paper explores the idea of using existing urban and suburban rail networks for distributing and delivering goods in cities. Six case studies are discussed, where four of them have already been implemented in European cities: Amsterdam, Dresden, Paris and Zurich. A description of TruckTrain® solutions is provided. The Newcastle metro potential to transport freight is also analysed. This paper concludes that urban freight by rail is a feasible concept, because it brings some advantages, essentially a reduction of congestions, emissions and traffic in cities.