A Line-Based Algorithm for Container Routing in Shipping Networks

Abstract

This paper proposes an integrated routing framework for liner shipping networks in which the routing decision concerns the movement of one or more containers from an origin to a destination, jointly addressing topological feasibility, temporal consistency, and cost–time trade-offs. The methodology combines a label-setting routing algorithm with a post-processing phase that enables multi-criteria analysis and clustering of origin–destination pairs. Within this framework, each container route explicitly accounts for service schedules, frequencies, dwell time, transshipment constraints, and port-specific handling costs, thereby ensuring the generation of temporally feasible routes over large-scale liner shipping networks. Two optimality criteria are considered for the container routing problem: time and cost. Computational experiments on a real-inspired network demonstrate the scalability of the proposed approach and highlight the difference between optimal time and cost-routing choices for containers. Further insights are obtained through clustering analyses, which reveal heterogeneous routing profiles and distinct trade-off patterns across origin–destination pairs, providing additional management insights beyond aggregate performance indicators. Overall, the proposed procedure offers a flexible and extensible tool for analyzing container movements within liner shipping services and supports advanced decision-making in maritime network design and service planning.