Co-modality is widely applied in medium- and long-haul transport by providing an integrated transport solution for both passenger and freight. This paper aims to investigate how the concept can support the short-haul market in city logistics. Though a few trials have been carried out by using the tram to serve cargo delivery, most of them were suspended or failed due to its substantial investment in dedicated vehicles and even track and inadequate service demand. Therefore, we reviewed the literature and global co-modality schemes. Combined with inputs from stakeholders in Sydney, Australia, we listed the key components of a feasible co-modality solution and conducted a series of numerical tests. We found that co-modality, considering its short dwell time for cargo handling in city transport stations, could be ideal to facilitate consignments with low volume but a very high requirement on time reliability—such as same-day delivery. By providing unaccompanied coverage in the middle mile, co-modality has the potential to save operational costs and bring environmental benefits. We presented the delivery process, business model canvas and technical capability of a prototype co-modal journey, and presented the opportunities, challenges, and potential benefits for future investigation.

多式联运通过提供客货一体化运输解决方案，广泛应用于中长途运输。本文旨在研究该概念如何支持城市物流中的短途市场。有轨电车虽然曾进行过少量的货运试点，但由于其对专用车辆甚至轨道的大量投资以及服务需求不足，大部分试点都被搁置或失败。因此，我们回顾了文献和全球联合模式方案。结合澳大利亚悉尼利益相关者的意见，我们列出了可行的联合交通解决方案的关键组成部分，并进行了一系列数值测试。我们发现联合运输，考虑到它在城市交通站处理货物的停留时间短，可以理想地促进小批量但对时间可靠性要求非常高的托运——例如当天交货。通过在中途提供无人陪伴的覆盖，联合模式有可能节省运营成本并带来环境效益。我们展示了原型联运旅程的交付流程、业务模型画布和技术能力，并展示了未来调查的机遇、挑战和潜在收益。