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

Table 2

Transportation modes and network topological structures.

Transportation mode	Characteristics	Network topological structure	Network graphic
Direct transportation	No transshipment on the way, fast travel speed, Higher proportions of train cars with no load	Point-to-point network
Hub-and-spoke transportation	High proportion of train cars that carry a load, Potentially poor timeliness of transportation	HS network
Consolidation transportation	High proportion of train cars that carry a load, Reduced overall transport time	Hybrid HS network