Complexity of Multi-Modal Transportation and Systems of Systems

The multi-modal transportation comprising diverse infrastructures, means & operations, energy resources, rules & regulations and a broad community of stakeholders constitute a complex yet real candidate for formalisation, analysis and optimization. It is shown that the complexity of the system is best described by viewing the challenges of its complexity as a System of Systems (SoS). The objective of this paper is to make an attempt to define and formalise the loose concept of “System of Systems” within the standard framework of Systems Theory and exploit this new theoretical foundation as a basis for understanding, characterisation, evaluation, assessment and management of complexity, relationships and optimal performance in a multi-modal transportation context. The longer term objective is to develop a robust systems framework for scientific treatment of requirements, constraints, risks, resilience, capacity, performance and trade-offs in multi-modal transportation setting.

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