Simulating Contestability in Freight Transportation The Canadian Grain Handling and Transportation System

Modern supply chains are characterised by multiple interactions among individuals and evolving temporal patterns of interaction. The grain handling and transportation system (GHTS) in Canada is a good example of a large modern supply chain. In this paper, we develop an agent-based simulation model of this regional supply chain, and use the simulation output to assess the viability of an open-rail access policy designed to mitigate railway market power in the system. We find that if open-rail access in the Canadian GHTS were to be implemented, profitable entry opportunities would, at best, be very limited.