Port competition with accessibility and congestion: a theoretical framework and literature review on empirical studies

This review interprets recent studies of the interactions between the competition of gateway seaports and the accessibility of landside transportation links to inland regions. Port competition is treated as part of a rivalry between two transportation chains. This article identifies the main modeling approaches and defines the different types of hinterland access systems described in the literature. A general theoretical framework is then proposed to incorporate those key components. The importance of the proposed framework is revealed by comparing and extending results from the literature. Major assumptions that need further empirical verification are identified and discussed, and related empirical studies are reviewed. Finally, avenues for further research are discussed.