高铁物流运输模式及其可行性

徐行方

(同济大学交通运输工程学院教授，博士生导师)

近年来，我国快递年业务量已逾千亿件，居世界第二，且以20%～30%的年增率增长；我国高铁线网已覆盖了超过90%的50万以上人口的城市，而高铁承担的快递运输比例却很低。由于客流在时间(从小时到季节不同时间维度)、空间(从区段、线路到地区不同空间维度)上的波动，导致高铁线路时空运能利用不均衡，部分运能得不到充分利用，而时效性相对宽松的物流运输可以填补高铁运能利用的不足。

高铁快递物流利用已有高铁线网资源，以高铁客运能力余量为基础，采用一定的运输组织模式，从而发挥高铁快捷、准时、低碳的特性，为社会提供高质量快递服务。可见运输组织模式是高铁物流实施的关键要素之一，高铁物流运输可分为“专列货运”和“非专列货运”两大类，并细分为四种模式。以下对这四种模式及其可行性作一简要分析。

“专列货运”是指开行专门的快递列车，高铁运输呈现“客货混跑”模式。按照快递列车开行时段的不同，可分为非客运时段开行(模式一)和客运非高峰时段开行(模式二)两种运输组织模式。

模式一：非客运时段开行。该模式是利用非客运时段(通常为00:00～06:00)的非“天窗”时间集中开行快递专列。所谓“天窗”，是综合维修作业时间的形象化表述。这种模式是现有高铁“确认车”的拓展。所谓“确认车”，就是利用“天窗”后早上开行的首趟“探路车”，它用于线路安全检查，虽不载客但可以运输货物。其优势在于有独立的运行时段，不受旅客列车运行影响，停站装卸作业时间较充分，对客运作业干扰较小。缺点是夜间运输意味着高铁快递只能做到隔天送达，而且与“天窗”时段有较大冲突，可供开行的时间范围较小(约2 h左右)。该模式的关键在于协调好快递专列运行与综合维修天窗的关系，其难点是高铁网络维修天窗方案的优化设置。

模式二：客运非高峰时段开行。该模式是利用非高峰时段高铁线路富余能力，开行一定数量的快递专列。其优势在于可供专列开行时间范围较广，物流输送能力有较大弹性。由于客货混跑时段总列数的上升，将对旅客列车正常运行产生一定干扰，增加了列车调度指挥的复杂性及难度。此模式下，车站除了需增设相应的货运设施设备、部分车站增设越行线外，由于快递专列与旅客列车同时段混跑运营，需加强车站客货运流线组织，使客流区与物流区保持必要的安全距离。该模式的关键在于协调好混跑时段客货列车的数量比例关系，减少车站装卸作业对旅客列车正点运行的影响。

“非专列货运”即不组织快递专列，依赖于现有旅客列车完成快递运输。根据货物装载车厢位置的不同，可分为“客车带货”(模式三)和“客货混编”(模式四)两种。

模式三：客车带货。该模式是在客车车厢内设置少量专用物流空间，在客运非高峰时段利用图定旅客列车捎带货物，由于储物空间有限，仅适用于少量零散轻小型快递。其优势在于不必改变列车时刻表和高铁行车组织，在不增加停站作业时间情况下，线路通过能力不受影响。为减少对客车定员的影响，物流空间不宜过大，因而对快递物品的品类、体积、质量有较大限制，物流运能较小，无法满足规模化高铁物流需求。此外，客货流线存在一定的交叉，需同时兼顾客货运输的安全。此模式的关键是对现有客车进行改造，合理确定快递空间大小，并将其设置为活动空间，以便在客运高峰期可恢复客运功能。此外，要求较高的装卸作业效率，以不增加停站作业时间。

模式四：客货混编。该模式类似于传统旅客列车编挂的行李车，物流空间以车厢为单位，在列车编组辆数一定的情况下，根据客货运量比例，调整列车端部1～2辆为快递专用车。该模式优势在于不影响原列车运行计划，物流输送能力大于模式三。除了始发终到站之间的点到点快递物流外，沿途物流以装卸作业不增加停站时间为限制条件，要求装卸作业简单、快捷，并使客货运流线分开，对站台重新划分客流区和物流区，两区保持必要的安全距离。该模式除了需要平衡客运运能与物流效益的关系外，还须解决两个问题：一是为了减少对车站客运组织的影响，车站需改扩建物流作业区域，划出物流作业区供快递物件的装卸与堆放，避免客货流线冲突；二是为了减少对线路通过能力的影响，应开发快速装卸作业的相关设备，从而缩短装卸时间。

以上四种高铁物流模式在技术上都具有可行性，可结合不同地区、不同线路、不同物流特征，从输送能力、运输组织、运营效益以及对客运影响等方面进行综合评价，选择合适的运输组织模式。

Commentary

High-speedRailwayLogisticsModeandFeasibility

XUXingfang

(Professor, PhD.Tutor at Institute of Rail Transit, Tongji University)

The yearly volume of delivery in China has exceeded 100 billion particles in recent years, ranking second place worldwide, rising by 20%～30% per year.High-speed line network in China has covered over 90% of the cities with population above 500 000, while high-speed railway is sharing low percentage of the deliveries.Since passenger flow fluctuates in time(temporal dimensions from hour to season)and space(spatial dimensions of section, route, and region), the spatial-temporal capacity of high-speed railway is not exerted to full extent, and logistics can make use of the deficient part because of its flexible timeliness.

High-speed railway logistics makes use of the existing high-speed line network, taking the margin of passenger transport capacity for basis, adopting certain organization mode for transportation, so as to prompt the benefits of speedy, timely and low-carbon of high-speed railway, providing premium delivery service for the society.Evidently, transportation organization mode is one of the key factors to enabling high-speed railway delivery business.High-speed railway logistics can be classified into two general types of ′specialized cargo freight′ and ′non-specialized cargo freight′, and four modes in detail.The four modes and their feasibility are analyzed respectively.

Mode 1: Operating outside passenger transport hours.This mode uses non ′skylight′ time of the non-passenger transport hours(usually at 00:00～06:00)for continuously operating delivery specialized trains.As for ′skylight′ time, it is a metaphorical expression for the comprehensive maintenance hours.This mode is an extension of the high-speed railway ′confirmation train′.As for ′confirmation train′, it is the first ′patrolling train′ after ′skylight′ time in the morning.It operates for route safety check and is available for cargo.The advantage is that the operating hour is independent from passenger train hours.There′s enough time to load and unload, less disturbance to passenger transport operation.The disadvantage is that high-speed train can only deliver in 3 days and the overlapping with the ′skylight′ period makes the applicable time range too small(about 2 hrs).The key to this mode is to coordinate well between delivery specialized train and skylight for comprehensive maintenance.The difficulty is in optimizing skylight scheme for high-speed railway network maintenance.

Mode 2: Operating during passenger transport non-peak hours.This mode schedules certain number of delivery specialized trains during non-peak hours, making use of the margin capacity of high-speed railway.The advantage is wide time range, giving flexibility to the logistics organization and capacity.With the increase of total train numbers during the passenger-cargo mix operating hours, normal operation of passenger trains will be interfered, adding up the complexity and difficulty of train coordination and command.Under this mode, other than adding corresponding cargo freight equipment and overtaking lines at some stations, train operation organization for mix operation of delivery and passenger at each station needs to be reinforced as well so that safe distance is kept between passenger area and logistics area.The key to this mode is to balance the ratio of cargo and passenger trains during mix operation, minimizing impact of loading and unloading work on the timetable of passenger trains.

′Non-specialized cargo freight′ is to not involve delivery specialized train, and to utilize currently available passenger trains for delivery transport.According to the location of cargo compartment on the train, there can be ′passenger train delivery′(mode 3)and ′mix formation of passenger and cargo transportation′(mode 4).

Mode 3: Passenger train delivery.This mode is to spare a limited amount of space in passenger compartment for delivery, and the scheduled passenger trains transport cargo during non-peak hours.The limited storage space only allows small amount of individual pieces.The advantage is to maintain the current timetable and the train organization of the high-speed railway, while not interfering with station stopping time and line passing capacity.To minimize the impact on fixed number of passenger train, the logistics area shouldn′t be too spatial, and there are limitations to parcel category, volume, mass, and logistics capacity.All of these prevent the scaling up of high-speed railway logistics.In addition, there are certain crossovers of passenger and cargo flow lines, requiring consideration of safety of passenger and cargo freight simultaneously.The key to this mode is to upgrade the current passenger trains, rationally defining delivery area size to be a flexible space, so that it is available for passengers during peak hours as well.Besides, high efficiency of loading and unloading operation is required, so that there′s no extra station stop time.

Mode 4: Mix formation of passenger and cargo transportation.This mode is similar to the conventional luggage compartment connected to passenger train.The logistics space is counting compartment as per unit.When the number of trains in a formation is fixed, according to the ratio of passenger-cargo capacity, 1-2 compartments at the train end can be modified for delivery.The advantage is that the original train timetable is not disturbed while the logistics delivery capacity is larger than that of mode 3.Other than the point-to-point delivery between terminals, under the premises of taking no extra station stop time, logistics along the way requires simple and fast loading and unloading operation, separating passenger and cargo flow lines, as well as passenger and cargo areas on station platform, between which safe distance must be kept.Besides that this mode requires balance between passenger transport capacity and logistics efficacy, two other problems must be confronted as well: firstly, to reduce impact on station passenger transport organization, station must reconstruct and extend a logistics operation area, isolated for delivery loading and storage, avoiding conflict between passenger and cargo flow lines; secondly, to reduce impact on line passing capacity, equipment relevant to efficient loading and unloading work should be developed to guarantee time management.

All of the above four high-speed railway logistics modes are feasible from technical perspective.Considering the characteristics of different regions, routes and logistics, comprehensive evaluation can be carried out from aspects including transporting capacity, transport organization, operation efficacy and influence on passenger transport, so that appropriate transport organization mode is chosen.

TranslatedbyZHANGLiman