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Master’s in Multimodal Rail-Port Logistics Engineering

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in rail-port multimodal logistics engineering: 12 modules covering multimodal transport, ports and terminals, rail freight, intermodal terminals, port-rail integration, dry ports, transport modelling, digitalisation and traceability, customs and contracts, logistics sustainability and strategy, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1900 h
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Analyse multimodal logistics chains and their costs.

02

Size port and intermodal terminals.

03

Design competitive rail freight services.

04

Integrate ports with their rail hinterland.

05

Model freight demand and modal choice.

06

Digitalise traceability and transport documentation.

07

Calculate emissions according to ISO 14083 and promote modal shift.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Intermodal logistics engineers designing door-to-door chains.
  • Port terminal planners working on capacity and yard operations.
  • Rail freight operations managers.
  • Supply chain consultants advising shippers and operators.
  • Port authority technical staff involved in planning and rail access.
  • Freight transport analysts working with demand and modal choice data.
  • Engineering or science graduates looking to enter the port sector.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • ISO 668:2020 (series 1 freight containers: classification and dimensions)
  • ISO 14083:2023 (quantification of greenhouse gas emissions from transport chains)
  • Regulation (EU) 2020/1056 (electronic freight transport information, eFTI)
  • Regulation (EU) 2019/1239 (European Maritime Single Window environment)
  • Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 (TEN-T trans-European transport network)
  • Regulation (EU) No 913/2010 (European rail network for competitive freight)
  • COTIF Convention, CIM Appendix (contract of international carriage of goods by rail)
  • Incoterms 2020 (international commercial terms)
  • AnyLogic
  • PTV Visum
  • QGIS
  • Python
Syllabus

12 modules · 1900 h

  1. 1.1Global supply chains
  2. 1.2Multimodality and intermodality
  3. 1.3Intermodal transport units
  4. 1.4ISO containers and their types
  5. 1.5European rail freight corridors
  6. 1.6Rail modal share
  7. 1.7Costs by transport mode
  8. 1.8Carbon footprint of transport
  9. 1.9European freight transport policy
  10. 1.10Case study: logistics chain of an exporter
  1. 2.1Types of ports and port authorities
  2. 2.2Maritime container terminals
  3. 2.3Dry and liquid bulk terminals
  4. 2.4Ro-ro and vehicle terminals
  5. 2.5STS cranes and yard equipment
  6. 2.6Container yard organisation
  7. 2.7Port productivity indicators
  8. 2.8Terminal automation
  9. 2.9The landlord port management model
  10. 2.10Lab: sizing a container terminal
  1. 3.1Rail freight operators
  2. 3.2Container wagons and flat wagons
  3. 3.3740-metre trains
  4. 3.4Gauge change and interoperability
  5. 3.5Rolling motorways for semi-trailers
  6. 3.6Diesel and electric traction in freight
  7. 3.7Cost structure of a train
  8. 3.8Liberalisation of the freight market
  9. 3.9Train paths and capacity for freight
  10. 3.10Practical exercise: cost of a port-to-inland train
  1. 4.1Design of rail terminals
  2. 4.2Loading and unloading track groups
  3. 4.3Rail-mounted gantry cranes
  4. 4.4Reach stackers and handlers
  5. 4.5Capacity and handling cycles
  6. 4.6Road access and gate control
  7. 4.7Automation of inland terminals
  8. 4.8Shunting operations and planning
  9. 4.9Gauge transhipment terminals
  10. 4.10Workshop: layout of an intermodal terminal
  1. 5.1Rail access to ports
  2. 5.2Internal port rail network
  3. 5.3Shunting and last-mile operators
  4. 5.4Container dwell time
  5. 5.5Port-rail bottlenecks
  6. 5.6Coordination of train and vessel windows
  7. 5.7Rail governance within the port
  8. 5.8The cases of Valencia, Algeciras and Barcelona
  9. 5.9Lessons from Rotterdam and Hamburg
  10. 5.10Case study: improving rail access to a port
  1. 6.1The dry port concept
  2. 6.2Logistics activity zones
  3. 6.3Location of logistics platforms
  4. 6.4Dry port management models
  5. 6.5Customs clearance at destination
  6. 6.6Value-added services
  7. 6.7Investment and financing of terminals
  8. 6.8Network of dry ports in Spain
  9. 6.9Success indicators for platforms
  10. 6.10Lab: optimal location of a dry port
  1. 7.1Freight demand estimation
  2. 7.2Modal choice models
  3. 7.3Design of intermodal networks
  4. 7.4Route and flow optimisation
  5. 7.5Discrete-event simulation of terminals
  6. 7.6Freight transport models
  7. 7.7Trade data sources
  8. 7.8Modal shift scenarios
  9. 7.9AnyLogic and Python tools
  10. 7.10Practical exercise: truck-rail modal choice model
  1. 8.1Port community systems (PCS)
  2. 8.2European Maritime Single Window
  3. 8.3Electronic freight transport information (eFTI)
  4. 8.4Real-time container tracking
  5. 8.5IoT sensors on wagons and containers
  6. 8.6Distributed ledgers in logistics
  7. 8.7TAF rail data exchange
  8. 8.8Digital twins of ports
  9. 8.9Cybersecurity of port systems
  10. 8.10Workshop: door-to-door data flow of a container
  1. 9.1Customs procedures and transit
  2. 9.2Incoterms 2020 in the chain
  3. 9.3CIM rail transport contract
  4. 9.4CMR Convention for road transport
  5. 9.5Dangerous goods: IMDG and RID
  6. 9.6Freight transport insurance
  7. 9.7Liability of the multimodal operator
  8. 9.8Logistics service contracts
  9. 9.9Intermodal transport subsidies
  10. 9.10Practical exercise: documentation for a multimodal shipment
  1. 10.1Emissions from freight transport
  2. 10.2GLEC accounting framework
  3. 10.3Emissions calculation according to ISO 14083
  4. 10.4Modal shift from road to rail
  5. 10.5Alternative fuels in logistics
  6. 10.6Electrification of port equipment
  7. 10.7Onshore power supply for ships
  8. 10.8Port-city integration
  9. 10.9Logistics sustainability reporting
  10. 10.10Case study: carbon footprint of a corridor
  1. 11.1Strategies of ports and operators
  2. 11.2Shipping alliances and their impact
  3. 11.3Vertical integration of shipping lines
  4. 11.4Port competition for the hinterland
  5. 11.5Port investment plans
  6. 11.6Supply chain resilience
  7. 11.7Logistics risk management
  8. 11.8Geopolitics of maritime routes
  9. 11.9Logistics performance indicators
  10. 11.10Lab: competitive analysis of a port's hinterland
  1. 12.1Definition of the logistics corridor
  2. 12.2Freight demand analysis
  3. 12.3Diagnosis of the port and its connections
  4. 12.4Rail service proposal
  5. 12.5Intermodal terminal design
  6. 12.6Economic model of the service
  7. 12.7Emissions assessment of the corridor
  8. 12.8Corridor implementation plan
  9. 12.9Master's Thesis report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, making it compatible with work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is AnyLogic, PTV Visum, QGIS and Python, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures: discrete-event simulation of terminals, modal choice studies on real corridors and carbon footprint calculation for logistics chains. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: ISO 668:2020, ISO 14083:2023, Regulation (EU) 2020/1056 (eFTI), Regulation (EU) 2019/1239, Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 (TEN-T), Regulation (EU) No 913/2010, COTIF Convention (CIM Appendix), Incoterms 2020.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of ISO 668:2020, ISO 14083:2023 and Regulation (EU) 2020/1056 (eFTI) applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:AnyLogic, PTV Visum, QGIS and Python, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:a rail-port logistics corridor project, from freight demand to the implementation plan, defended before a panel.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Container terminal sizing
Size a container terminal and its yard equipment.
Intermodal terminal layout
Design the layout of a rail intermodal terminal.
Modal choice model
Build a truck-rail modal choice model for a corridor.
Corridor carbon footprint
Calculate the emissions of a logistics corridor according to ISO 14083.
Master's Thesis
A rail-port logistics corridor project, from freight demand to the implementation plan, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Intermodal logistics engineerPort terminal plannerRail freight operations managerSupply chain consultantPort authority technical officerFreight transport analyst
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
  • An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
  • English sufficient to read technical standards.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.

You work with AnyLogic, PTV Visum, QGIS and Python, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.

A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.

Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent professional experience, plus a suitable computer and English sufficient to read technical standards.

Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.

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