DISCRETE EVENT SIMULATION FOR OPERATIONAL RESOURCE SIZING IN A CONTAINER RAIL YARD

This paper presents the development and application of a discrete-event simulation model for operational resource sizing in a rail container yard inserted in an intermodal logistics environment. Unlike most studies in the literature, which apply simulation to strategic or tactical decisions, this study proposes the use of simulation as a decision-support tool for daily operational planning. The model integrates container loading and unloading flows, considers resource constraints, and incorporates a relevant operational rule referred to as “ground unloading.” As the model is still in the validation stage, the results focus on the comparison between real and simulated data from 39 operational days. The results showed a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 6.84%, a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 6.93 time units, and a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 8.19 time units, demonstrating satisfactory adherence of the model to the real system. The findings highlight the potential of simulation as a practical tool to support short-term decision-making and as a foundation for future resource sizing analyses in intermodal logistics operations.