Search Results for:

Network topology looks at the arrangement of nodes and links, particularly their locations and the nature of their connections. Network connectivity involves a specific configuration of links and nodes. Links indicate which nodes are linked and how they are linked, namely with a directional attribute such as unidirectional or bi-directional.

Source: Adapted from Alexander Kuznetsov, Admiral Makarov State Maritime Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia. The network structure of a transport service is commonly linked with its cost structure. In a conventional point-to-point service, the total transport cost is simply a function of the transshipment and shipment costs. The above figure assumes

The network structure can influence transport rates since it shapes the quantity of traffic transiting through links and nodes and, therefore, the potential for economies of scale along these routes. The above example represents locations with similar characteristics (e.g. population) and generating the same amount of traffic. The transport rates

Connecting a set of locations with a transport network is commonly a cost-benefit consideration; how much each option costs and what is the related benefit. This is the reason why an area may not be entirely serviced since the additional costs related to expanding a transport network may not justify

Transport networks reflect the political context, namely the capacity to trade. Economies with a high level of economic integration tend to have well-connected networks, while economies with a low level of economic integration tend to have poor connectivity. Before an economic integration process (such as a free trade agreement), networks

One of the consequences of a hub-and-spoke network structure is a potentially high level of detour depending upon the origin, destination, and their respective position in relation to the hub. The above hub-and-spoke network is subdivided into four equal quadrants (A, B, C, and D). The level of detour is

Point-to-point and hub-and-spoke networks are at opposite ends of the connectivity spectrum. A point-to-point network connects directly to a set of locations without interrupting services (e.g. pick up or drop off), even if the route may not be direct. A (pure) hub-and-spoke network connects every location through a single intermediary

Networks tend to have two significant spatial effects on flows, which are centrifugal and centripetal. These effects depend on the structure of the network and its relationship with the distribution of origins and destinations. Centrifugal networks have no specific centrality as no node is significantly more connected than the others.

The main structural components of transport networks are: