Fitting my table into tex width in elsarticle

Question

I am working on a paper to be submitted to Esevier Journal and I have a problem with fitting the table int the text width which exceeds the text width. I'll give the MWE as follows:

\documentclass[preprint, authoryear]{elsarticle}

\usepackage[colorlinks=true,linkcolor=black, citecolor=blue, urlcolor=blue]{hyperref}

\journal{Journal of Transportation Research, Part E}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{natbib}
\usepackage{textcomp}


\usepackage{url}
\usepackage{amstext}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsmath}

\usepackage{multicol}
\setlength{\columnsep}{1cm}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{lettrine}
\allowdisplaybreaks
\usepackage[export]{adjustbox}
\usepackage{ragged2e}
\usepackage{subfig}
\usepackage{float}
\usepackage{url}
\urlstyle{same}
\usepackage{tabularx}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{array}



\newcolumntype{C}[1]{>{\centering\arraybackslash}m{#1}}


\bibliographystyle{elsarticle-harv}
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

\begin{document}
\section{Introduction}\label{sec: intro}
Text text Text textText textText textText textText textText text
Text textText textText textText textText text Text textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText text
\begin{table}[H]
    \caption{Computational Results: Case I, $P_{1}$}
    \label{tab: Case I, P1}
    \begin{center}
        \begin{tabular}{|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|}\hline
            Weight Legend & AVG. Time $(s)$ & Cost ($\$1E6$) & \multicolumn{2}{c|}{Risk (pp $1E6$)}  & No. of Trains\\ \hline
            {} & {}  & {} & X & Y & {} \\ \hline
            Case A: $\alpha = 1.00$ , $\beta = 0.00$& 2.06  & 0.96 & 1.80 & 2.16 & 19 \\ \hline
            Case B: $\alpha = 0.90$ , $\beta = 0.10$ & 39.8  & 0.97 & 1.75 & 2.13 & 19 \\ \hline
            Case C: $\alpha = 0.80$ , $\beta = 0.20$ & 53.06  & 0.97 & 1.75 & 2.13 & 19 \\ \hline
            Case D: $\alpha = 0.70$ , $\beta = 0.30$ & 44.72  & 1.01 & 1.75 & 1.93 & 23 \\ \hline
            Case E: $\alpha = 0.60$ , $\beta = 0.40$ & 40.92  & 1.12 & 1.75 & 1.93 & 23 \\ \hline
            Case F: $\alpha = 0.50$ , $\beta = 0.50$ & 39.8  & 1.12 & 1.67 &1.93  & 23 \\ \hline
            Case G: $\alpha = 0.40$ , $\beta = 0.60$ & 36.22  & 1.12 & 1.67 & 1.93 & 23 \\ \hline
            Case H: $\alpha = 0.30$ , $\beta = 0.70$ & 41.21  & 1.12 & 1.67 & 1.93 & 23 \\ \hline
            Case I: $\alpha = 0.20$ , $\beta = 0.80$ & 34.43  & 1.20 & 1.60 & 1.93 & 26 \\ \hline
            Case J: $\alpha = 0.10$ , $\beta = 0.90$ & 32.87  & 1.25 & 1.60 & 1.91 & 28 \\ \hline
            Case K: $\alpha = 0.00$ , $\beta = 1.00$ & 17.96  & 1.62 & 1.60 & 1.91 & 41 \\ \hline
        \end{tabular}
    \end{center}
\end{table} 
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\end{document}

I would appreciate if you could help me out with fitting the table into the text width block.

Answer 1

like this?

edit:

• your table has to wide column headers. to make them shorter i suggest to broke them into two lines by help of macro makecell from the package makecell
• for better formatting of numbers (aligning at decimal point) i suggest to use the column type S from package siunitx
• the packages url and hyperref should be the loaded the last in preamble
• in the second example i show an alternative in which is:
  • reorganized your first column in three columns with headers "case", "$\alpha$" and "$\beta$"
  • for part of columns headers are in multirow cells
  • removed vertical lines
  • instead of \hlines used rules from ˙the package booktabs

\documentclass[preprint]{elsarticle}
%\documentclass[preprint, authoryear]{elsarticle}

%\usepackage{lineno}
%\modulolinenumbers[5]

\journal{Journal of Transportation Research, Part E}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{natbib}
\usepackage{textcomp}

\usepackage{amstext}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsmath}
%% \numberwithin{equation}{subsection}
\usepackage{multicol}
\setlength{\columnsep}{1cm}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{lettrine}
\allowdisplaybreaks
\usepackage[export]{adjustbox}
\usepackage{ragged2e}
\usepackage{subfig}
\usepackage{float}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{makecell}  % new
\usepackage{tabularx}
%\usepackage{array}    % loaded by makecell and/or by tabularx
\usepackage{siunitx}

\newcolumntype{C}[1]{>{\centering\arraybackslash}m{#1}}
\usepackage{url}
\urlstyle{same}
\usepackage[colorlinks=true,linkcolor=black, citecolor=blue, urlcolor=blue]{hyperref}

%% `Elsevier LaTeX' style
\bibliographystyle{elsarticle-harv}
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

\begin{document}
\section{Introduction}\label{sec: intro}
Text text Text textText textText textText textText textText text
Text textText textText textText textText text Text textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText text
\begin{table}[htb]
    \caption{Computational Results: Case I, $P_{1}$}
    \label{tab: Case I, P1}
    \centering
        \begin{tabular}{|c| S[table-format=2.2]|
                       *{3}{S[table-format=1.2]|}
                            S[table-format=2.0]|}
        \hline
        Weight Legend
            & {\makecell{AVG.\\ Time $(s)$}}
                & {\makecell{Cost\\ ($\$1E6$)}}
                    & \multicolumn{2}{c|}{\makecell{Risk\\ (persons $1E6$)}}
                        & {\makecell{No. of\\ Trains}}                              \\  \hline
        Cases   &   &   & {Propane} & {Butane}  &                                       \\  \hline
        A: $\alpha = 1.00$ , $\beta = 0.00$ &  2.06  & 0.96 & 1.80 & 2.16 & 19 \\ \hline
        B: $\alpha = 0.90$ , $\beta = 0.10$ & 39.8   & 0.97 & 1.75 & 2.13 & 19 \\ \hline
        C: $\alpha = 0.80$ , $\beta = 0.20$ & 53.06  & 0.97 & 1.75 & 2.13 & 19 \\ \hline
        D: $\alpha = 0.70$ , $\beta = 0.30$ & 44.72  & 1.01 & 1.75 & 1.93 & 23 \\ \hline
        E: $\alpha = 0.60$ , $\beta = 0.40$ & 40.92  & 1.12 & 1.75 & 1.93 & 23 \\ \hline
        F: $\alpha = 0.50$ , $\beta = 0.50$ & 39.8   & 1.12 & 1.67 & 1.93 & 23 \\ \hline
        G: $\alpha = 0.40$ , $\beta = 0.60$ & 36.22  & 1.12 & 1.67 & 1.93 & 23 \\ \hline
        H: $\alpha = 0.30$ , $\beta = 0.70$ & 41.21  & 1.12 & 1.67 & 1.93 & 23 \\ \hline
        I: $\alpha = 0.20$ , $\beta = 0.80$ & 34.43  & 1.20 & 1.60 & 1.93 & 26 \\ \hline
        J: $\alpha = 0.10$ , $\beta = 0.90$ & 32.87  & 1.25 & 1.60 & 1.91 & 28 \\ \hline
        K: $\alpha = 0.00$ , $\beta = 1.00$ & 17.96  & 1.62 & 1.60 & 1.91 & 41 \\ \hline
        \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Text text Text textText textText textText textText textText text
Text textText textText textText textText text Text textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText text
\end{document}

addendum: or like this (as i prefer):

\documentclass[preprint]{elsarticle}
%\documentclass[preprint, authoryear]{elsarticle}

%\usepackage{lineno}
%\modulolinenumbers[5]

\journal{Journal of Transportation Research, Part E}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{natbib}
\usepackage{textcomp}

\usepackage{amstext}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsmath}
%% \numberwithin{equation}{subsection}
\usepackage{multicol}
\setlength{\columnsep}{1cm}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{lettrine}
\allowdisplaybreaks
\usepackage[export]{adjustbox}
\usepackage{ragged2e}
\usepackage{subfig}
\usepackage{float}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{makecell, multirow}
\usepackage{tabularx}
%\usepackage{array}
\usepackage{siunitx}

\newcolumntype{C}[1]{>{\centering\arraybackslash}m{#1}}
\usepackage{url}
\urlstyle{same}
\usepackage[colorlinks=true,linkcolor=black, citecolor=blue, urlcolor=blue]{hyperref}

%% `Elsevier LaTeX' style
\bibliographystyle{elsarticle-harv}
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

\begin{document}
\section{Introduction}\label{sec: intro}
Text text Text textText textText textText textText textText text
Text textText textText textText textText text Text textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText text
\begin{table}[htb]
    \caption{Computational Results: Case I, $P_{1}$}
    \label{tab: Case I, P1}
    \centering
        \begin{tabular}{c
                        *{2}{S[table-format=1.2]}
                             S[table-format=2.2] 
                        *{3}{S[table-format=1.2]}
                             S[table-format=2.0]
                       }
        \toprule
        \multicolumn{3}{c}{Weight Legend}
                    & {\multirow{2}{*}{\makecell{AVG.\\ Time $(s)$}}}
                        & {\multirow{2}{*}{\makecell{Cost\\ ($\$1E6$)}}}
                            & \multicolumn{2}{c}{\makecell{Risk (persons $1E6$)}}
                                & {\multirow{2}{*}{\makecell{No. of\\ Trains}}} \\
        \cmidrule{1-3}
        \cmidrule{6-7}
        Case & {$\alpha$} & {$\beta$}&  &   & {Propane} & {Butane}  & \\
        \midrule
        A   & 1.00  & 0.00  &  2.06 & 0.96  & 1.80  & 2.16  & 19  \\
        B   & 0.90  & 0.10  & 39.8  & 0.97  & 1.75  & 2.13  & 19  \\
        C   & 0.80  & 0.20  & 53.06 & 0.97  & 1.75  & 2.13  & 19  \\
        D   & 0.70  & 0.30  & 44.72 & 1.01  & 1.75  & 1.93  & 23  \\
        E   & 0.60  & 0.40  & 40.92 & 1.12  & 1.75  & 1.93  & 23  \\
        F   & 0.50  & 0.50  & 39.8  & 1.12  & 1.67  & 1.93  & 23  \\
        G   & 0.40  & 0.60  & 36.22 & 1.12  & 1.67  & 1.93  & 23  \\
        H   & 0.30  & 0.70  & 41.21 & 1.12  & 1.67  & 1.93  & 23  \\
        I   & 0.20  & 0.80  & 34.43 & 1.20  & 1.60  & 1.93  & 26  \\
        J   & 0.10  & 0.90  & 32.87 & 1.25  & 1.60  & 1.91  & 28  \\
        K   & 0.0  & 01.00  & 17.96 & 1.62  & 1.60  & 1.91  & 41  \\
        \bottomrule
        \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Text text Text textText textText textText textText textText text
Text textText textText textText textText text Text textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText textText text
\end{document}