Case Study: Port of Hamburg achieves higher train capacity utilization with AnyLogic simulation software

Evaluating Container ETA Data Flow Introduction in the Port of Hamburg

The Port of Hamburg faced bottlenecks in hinterland container transport because vessel delays made it hard for terminal and rail operators to plan container shipments efficiently. Without container-level ETA information, trains were often underfilled or missed, storage at terminals became congested, and late deliveries increased costs. AnyLogic simulation software was used by researchers from TU Darmstadt to study whether earlier visibility into container arrival times could improve planning.

Using AnyLogic, the team built a simulation of two three-month operating periods and tested three operational policies with and without container ETA data. The results showed that AnyLogic demonstrated clear gains in train capacity utilization, especially when containers were pooled and rebooked based on delays. For large vessels, ETA helped but did not fully solve the problem; however, the study confirmed that AnyLogic could support shorter dwell times, better rail utilization, and improved shipment planning for the Port of Hamburg.

Port of Hamburg