An assignment model for public transport networks with both schedule- and frequency-based services

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This paper presents an assignment modeling framework for public transport networks with co-existing schedule- and frequency-based services. The paper develops, applies and discusses a joint model, which aims at representing the behavior of passengers as realistically as possible. The model consists of a choice set generation phase followed by a multinomial logit route choice model and assignment of flow to the generated alternatives. The choice set generation uses an event dominance principle to exclude alternatives with costs above a certain cost threshold. Furthermore, a heuristic for aggregating overlapping lines is proposed. The results from applying the model to a case study in the Greater Copenhagen Area show that the level of service obtained in the unified network model of mixed services is placed between the level of service for strictly schedule-based and strictly frequency-based networks. The results also show that providing timetable information to the passengers improve their utility function as compared to only providing information on frequencies.