Fundamental Knowledge on Transport, Infrastructure & Logistics

Date:

16 September, 14 October, 28 October, 11 November 2025

Time:

10.00 – 16.00 h

Location:

Utrecht

Lecturer:

Dr. Jan Anne Annema, Dr. Sander Lenferink, Dr. Niek Mouter

Days:

4

ECTS:

1 (attendance only) | 4 (attendance + passing assignment)

Course fee:

Free for TRAIL/Beta/OML/ERIM members, others please contact the TRAIL office

Registration:

see below

Objectives:

After this course, participants will be able to:

  • explain the transport system (which factors drive this system),
  • understand impacts of the transport system on accessibility, safety and the environment, and explain the factors that cause the impacts,
  • understand transport policy making, transport governance and evaluation methods, and explain the pros and cons of the different governance models and evaluation methods.

 

For those who do the assignment: they are able to link the knowledge gained explicitly to the topic of their PhD research.

Course description:

The course consists of four parts.

In Part I (1 day) we explain how the transport system is structured, and the main factors that drive this system. The topics are:

  • A general introduction explaining the structure of the course and the related book;
  • the wants and needs of people, which drive passenger transport;
  • the needs of companies to transport goods;
  • dominant land-use factors which drive the transport system.
  • transport resistance factors (time, costs, effort) that interact with the transport system.

 

In Part II (1 day) impacts of the transport system on accessibility, the environment, and safety are discussed:

  • Traffic flow theory (final course of Part I)
  • Accessibility
  • Transport and the environment
  • Traffic safety
  • The role of transport technology in explaining the impacts


Part III (1 day) gives an introduction to transport policy, governance and  evaluation methods. Some dominant transport models and their applications in policymaking and evaluation will also be discussed.

  • Transport Governance
  • Transport policy
  • Transport futures research
  • Appraisal methods for transport policy


Part IV (1 day – at least for those who do an assignment; others: on a voluntary basis). Participants present the outline of their assignment. In the group, the assignments will shortly be discussed. This day can be joined online

Assignment:

You will be asked to relate your PhD topic to the transport system (part I), to the impacts (part II) and to policy issues (part III).

Program:

Day I

10:00 – 10:45  Introduction and structure of the course (Jan Anne Annema)

11.00 – 11:45  The wants and needs of people (Sander Lenferink)

12:00 – 12:45  The want and needs of shippers (Sander Lenferink)

12:45 – 14:00  lunch

14.00 – 14.45  Land-use factors (Sander Lenferink)

15:00 – 15:45  Transport resistance (Jan Anne Annema)

 

Day II

10:00 – 11:15  Traffic flow theory (t.b.a.)

11.25 – 12:10  Impacts on accessibility (Jan Anne Annema)

12:15 – 13:00  Impacts on safety (Jan Anne Annema)

13:00 – 14:00  lunch

14.00 – 14.45  Impacts on the environment (Jan Anne Annema)

15:00 – 15:45  Transport technology (Jan Anne Annema)

 

Day III

10:00 – 10:45  Transport policy (Niek Mouter)

11.00 – 11:45  Transport futures research (Jan Anne Annema)

12:00 – 12:45  Dominant policy evaluation methods (Niek Mouter)

12:45 – 14:00  lunch

14.00 – 14.45  Dominant policy evaluation methods (Niek Mouter )

15:00 – 15:45  Questions and answers; assignment instructions (Jan Anne Annema)

 

Day IV

10.00 – 16.00  Presentations of outlines of assignments, and discussion

Literature:

Methodology:

Course material:

The course will be based on the book ‘The Transport System and Transport Policy, An Introduction (2023), 2nd edition’.

Prerequiste:

None

Course Registration form


Member of research school:

Contact

GP-OML office
Conchita van der Stelt
c.vanderstelt@rstrail.nl
+31(0)15 27 89256