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• Vessel train in ocean shipping offers environmental and economic benefits. • Multi-scenario analysis reveals diverse applications of vessel train. • Case study from Yangshan Port to Port of Piraeus showcases the potentials of vessel train. • Sensitivity analysis emphasizes dependence of vessel train on shipping productivity. This paper introduces the concept of vessel train, a new mode in maritime transport offering both environmental and economic advantages. The study provides a framework for analyzing the economic feasibility of vessel train in ocean shipping, focusing on four different scenarios to evaluate its impact on navigation speed and productivity for both round-trip and year-long operations. Using the container ship route from Yangshan Port to the Port of Piraeus as a case study, the research compares vessel train with traditional shipping methods by categorizing shipping costs. It also includes a sensitivity analysis considering factors like route length, frictional resistance reduction, and variations in the container freight index, fuel prices, and carbon tax rates. The findings indicate that vessel train can reduce transportation costs and fuel emissions. The paper concludes that vessel train could significantly contribute to a competitive and sustainable future in shipping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) framework has the potential to induce changes in individual travel behavior towards more sustainable transportation alternatives by integrating multimodal travel services. However, insights into the behavioral responses of specific groups of people to MaaS, thus promoting green travel, are currently lacking. This paper intends to investigate the intergroup heterogeneous preferences on the choice of MaaS bundles and evaluate their contributions to eco-friendly travel. A stated choice experiment is designed, incorporating personalized MaaS service bundles complemented by different green travel-oriented ticketing strategies. The experiment caters to different groups of users related to public transport, cars, and other modes of transport. The results indicate a substantial improvement in the goodness-of-fit of the behavioral model after user classification, revealing significant heterogeneity in preferences among users regarding MaaS bundle choices. Notably, the impact of sub-tickets on nudging toward green transportation is more pronounced than that of monthly and discount tickets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]