Evolution of the China Railway Express Consolidation Network and Optimization of Consolidation Routes

China Rail Express (CRE) is the international container train line that runs between China and Europe. Since the implementation of China’s Belt and Road initiative, CRE has developed rapidly. As most CRE trains travel directly from source to destination without load consolidation, CRE faces issues such as an insufficient cargo supply, a low load factor, and a low profit margin. To address these problems, we analyzed the selection of potential consolidation centers and the optimization of consolidation routes to these centers from the perspective of complex network evolution. First, we constructed rules for generation and evolution of the complex network. Next, we generated logistics connection topology networks for CRE from 2013 to 2017 using those rules. We then optimized the consolidation routes based on the network structures formed from those rules. Chongqing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Zhengzhou, Shenyang, Lanzhou, Urumqi, and Tianjin were selected as potential consolidation centers. We conclude with a sensitivity analyses and a discussion of management implications for CRE.