Dry Port–Seaport System: A Systematic Review

Dry ports are becoming increasingly important elements of port–hinterland transport systems, particularly as maritime gateways face rising congestion, infrastructure pressure, and coordination challenges within global supply chains. As international trade expands and logistics networks grow more complex, inland terminals are progressively evolving into integrated intermodal platforms that support more efficient freight distribution between seaports and their hinterlands. This study presents a PRISMA-based systematic review of research on dry port–seaport systems covering the period 1980–2025. Following a structured screening and selection procedure, peer-reviewed publications were identified and analyzed to examine conceptual developments, thematic orientations, geographical scope, and decision-making perspectives within the field. Particular attention is given to the growing relevance of digital transformation, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, in shaping future dry port operations and network design. By synthesizing existing contributions and identifying research gaps, this review provides a consolidated understanding of the evolution of dry port research and outlines key directions for advancing sustainable, resilient, and data-driven port–hinterland systems.

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Publication Details

Journal
Future Transportation
Published
2026-04-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/futuretransp6030096
Primary Topic
Maritime Ports and Logistics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Dry Port–Seaport System: A Systematic Review

Saida Fellah, Charif Mabrouki
Future Transportation
Maritime Ports and Logistics
article

Dry Port–Seaport System: A Systematic Review

Saida Fellah, Charif Mabrouki
article en

Abstract

Dry ports are becoming increasingly important elements of port–hinterland transport systems, particularly as maritime gateways face rising congestion, infrastructure pressure, and coordination challenges within global supply chains. As international trade expands and logistics networks grow more complex, inland terminals are progressively evolving into integrated intermodal platforms that support more efficient freight distribution between seaports and their hinterlands. This study presents a PRISMA-based systematic review of research on dry port–seaport systems covering the period 1980–2025. Following a structured screening and selection procedure, peer-reviewed publications were identified and analyzed to examine conceptual developments, thematic orientations, geographical scope, and decision-making perspectives within the field. Particular attention is given to the growing relevance of digital transformation, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, in shaping future dry port operations and network design. By synthesizing existing contributions and identifying research gaps, this review provides a consolidated understanding of the evolution of dry port research and outlines key directions for advancing sustainable, resilient, and data-driven port–hinterland systems.

Future TransportationVol. 6(3)
Université Hassan 1er (MA)
Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Maritime Ports and Logistics
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