High-speed Rail Stations Research Articles

Experimental study and numerical analysis of a novel serrated-and-plate truss structure

High-speed rail station has extensive span and height, making daylighting a challenge. This paper proposes the serrated-and-plate truss structure (SPTS) to improve station daylighting. SPTS combines a serrated truss structure (STS) for daylighting and a plate truss structure (PTS) for lateral stability and deformation resistance. A downscaled SPTS with support-loading system is designed and built to test mechanical properties. It has 264 stress and 19 displacement measuring points, tested under four vertical and two horizontal load cases. Maximal stress and displacement are 150.7 MPa and 5.07 mm, with peak chord axial force and column base bending moment of 13.5 kN and 663.7 kN mm. Simulated and measured results match well, confirming the numerical method's accuracy. Thermal effects of SPTS are studied via conventical and extreme thermal analyses, with stress and displacement well below limits. Seismic spectrum and time-history analyses indicate SPTS stress and deformation at 63.9 % and 68.3 % of limits. Comparative analysis across 64 load cases reveal that STS is significantly less stable and resistant to deformation than SPTS, validating PTS's boundary constraint effects. Experimental and numerical studies confirm SPTS's engineering applicability and provide valuable references for similar truss structure research.

Metaheuristics-based multistage iterative optimization framework for decomposed high-speed rail systems planning problem

High-speed rail (HSR) systems planning and decision-making is a large-scale, multistage, intricate problem, where each stage represents a complex sub-problem. The solution approach to the multistage problem needs information exchange across the stages. A non-optimal planning and decision at any stage could yield a sub-optimal HSR system. This study proposes a novel multistage iterative HSR station location and alignment optimization framework (HSLAOF) to solve the main problem by decomposing it into the identification of (a) HSR potential regions and corridor, (b) station location, (c) shortest sequence/corridor of stations, and (d) collision-free alignment (horizontal and vertical) sub-problems. It integrates these sub-problems, which are solved separately using customized artificial intelligence- and motion planning-based metaheuristics such as particle swarm optimization for station location, ant colony optimization for shortest sequence of stations, path planner method for horizontal alignment and exploration, and exploitation-based ant colony optimization for vertical profile. In HSLAOF, the information from the upper and lower stages of the optimization process are exchanged and combined for a holistic optimized HSR system. Application of HSLAOF in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR project yielded a solution that has 14.24 % lower total system cost, no environmental impact, 5.82 % better socio-economic impact, 21.14 % lesser noise and vibration impacted population, and 2.79 % higher station location utility than the one proposed by the experts. For predefined station location, the HSLAOF yielded alignment with 13.90 % lower total system cost and 24.00 % less noise and vibration impacted population than the one developed by experts. It required about 150 min to obtain a solution for each iteration.

Impact and mechanisms of high-speed rail construction on carbon emissions: A quasi-natural experiment in China

Carbon emissions present a significant climate challenge for China. As a major source of these emissions, reducing transportation-related carbon output is essential to achieving the country's dual carbon goals. In this context, high-speed rail (HSR) emerges as a green, low-carbon alternative with an increasingly significant role in reducing carbon emissions. This paper explores the impact of HSR station construction on carbon emissions using data from 248 prefecture-level cities from 2003 to 2019, treating the construction as a quasi-natural experiment. Employing a spatial DID model, the research investigates how HSR construction affects carbon emission intensity within the region and in neighboring areas. It also considers socioeconomic factors to understand their mediating roles. The findings reveal that HSR construction significantly reduces regional carbon emissions over time, with long-term and gradually increasing effects. Spatially, HSR also has substantial spillover effects in reducing carbon emissions in adjacent regions. Numerically, HSR reduces carbon emissions by an average of 1.7% in the local region and 2.3% in the surrounding areas. The mechanism analysis indicates that the carbon reduction benefits of HSR stem from a complex interplay of multiple factors, with each selected factor playing a partial mediating role. Notably, the concentration of human capital and the flow of innovation are crucial pathways for regional carbon reduction. However, despite HSR's promotion of industrial structure upgrades and substitution of traditional transportation, these factors have not yet significantly contributed to carbon reduction under current conditions. These results underscore the critical position of HSR in carbon reduction and provide a theoretical foundation for future HSR planning and sustainable development policy formulation.

Study on the Influence of Spatial Attributes on Passengers’ Path Selection at Fengtai High-Speed Railway Station Based on Eye Tracking

The average daily throughput of large-scale passenger high-speed railway stations is large, and the design of the inbound space connecting with the underground and other modes of transport affects the passengers’ wayfinding behaviour and time spent, which in turn affects the efficiency of the inbound station. How to optimise the design of station entry space and signage arrangement becomes the key to shortening the station entry time. In this paper, eye tracking, spatial syntax, and semantic difference methods are used to evaluate the passenger’s wayfinding process in the underground hub of a large high-speed railway station and the spatial syntax is used to quantify and analyse the wayfinding path segments, to explore the influence of the spatial attributes of different nodes and the spatial arrangement of the guiding signs on the passenger’s wayfinding behaviour data and the difference in attention, and to find out that the connectivity of the wayfinding nodes, the area of the field of view, and the passengers’ The study concludes that the connectivity and visual field area of wayfinding nodes have a strong positive correlation with the passengers’ route choice time, which has less influence on the correct rate of wayfinding and can be taken into less consideration in the subsequent design. While analysing the spatial density of signs and the correct rate of wayfinding in the sample, it is concluded that the density of guide signs is maintained in the interval of 5–11‰, and at the same time, the number is sufficient to point to the destination is a more appropriate interval, and ultimately, the impact of the correct rate of wayfinding of the weighting of the following: signage focus on the time > density of information > density of key information > diameter of the pupil. The study analyses the influencing factors affecting passengers’ wayfinding behaviour from a human factors perspective and provides feedback on the design of underground entry spaces in large passenger high-speed rail stations.

Remote high-speed rail stations, urban land supply, and the emergence of new economic activities

This study investigates the influence of high-speed rail (HSR) station placements on urban economic activities within cities. Specifically, we assess their effects on government-driven new land supply and market-driven emerging economic activities. Using data from 2007 to 2017, our analysis encompasses 720 HSR stations across 319 Chinese cities, with a focus on remote stations situated in the peripheral counties. Our findings reveal that remote HSR stations typically function as new city subcenters. They consistently drive the expansion of both land supply and economic activities (distance effect) and draw them toward the quadrant surrounding the station (direction effect). However, the alignment between their impacts on land supply and economic activities varies based on the city characteristics. In cities experiencing population declines, remote HSR stations notably affect land supply but have a negligible influence on economic activities, leading to resource misallocation and an increased risk of ghost towns. Furthermore, better HSR accessibility and higher tertiary industry proportions can magnify the spatial spillover effects of HSR station location on both land supply and economic activities.

Short-term high-speed rail passenger flow prediction by integrating ensemble empirical mode decomposition with multivariate grey support vector machine

Short-term prediction of high-speed rail (HSR) passenger flow provides a daily ridership estimation for the near future, which is critical to HSR planning and operational decision making. This paper proposes a new methodology that integrates ensemble empirical mode decomposition with multivariate support vector machines (EEMD-MSVM). There are four steps in this hybrid forecasting approach: (i) explore the correlation of multivariate HSR passenger flows at various stations based on archived data; (ii) decompose empirical modes of historical passenger flows for each HSR station, using EEMD to generate a number of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) and a trend term; (iii) predict the IMF for each correlated station pair using MSVM; and (iv) reconstruct the refined IMF components to predict daily multivariate HSR passenger flows. The proposed EEMD-MSVM approach is demonstrated with multiple OD pairs along the Wuhan-Guangzhou HSR in China. Results from various origin-destination pairs, show that the EEMD-MSVM approach outperforms the existing ensemble empirical mode decomposition with grey support vector machine approach (EEMD-GSVM). With the multivariate approach, the mean absolute percentage error in demand prediction is reduced by 13.9%, 1.2%, 1.0%, 2.0%, and 2.7% and the mean absolute deviation is reduced by 78.8, 38.0, 4.4, 4.6, and 3.9, between these OD pairs respectively. Such increase in short-term demand prediction accuracy can significantly improve HSR service planning, operations, and revenue management in the real world.

What affected the vitality of high-speed rail station areas? A case study of Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration, China

What affected the vitality of high-speed rail station areas? A case study of Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration, China

Enhancing Sustainable Railway Station Design in Tropical Climates: Insights from Thailand’s Architectural Theses and Case Studies

An environmentally conscious architectural design of a railway station can have a substantial influence on government spending. Nevertheless, an extensive collection of guidelines for using sustainable design principles in the construction of a railway station can provide several advantages. The goal is to review design visions for railway stations in Thailand, as reflected in student theses and government proposals, from 1983 to 2022 for sustainable design aspects in tropical climates. We perform an analysis of architectural design aspects including service areas, shape, entrances, roofing, style, and development in order to uncover design trends and possible areas that may be enhanced. Station designs are mostly characterized by curved and gable roofs, with 3D curved buildings being the next most common feature. High speed rail (HSR) stations stress local cultural elements in their major entrances while also improving passenger flow. Public buildings frequently employ curved or gabled porticos to achieve a majestic look. Although university theses place a high importance on conceptual design and functionality, it is essential to also consider cost-effectiveness. Key design considerations for future railway stations are transparency, connection, efficient mobility, and cost–time efficiency. The research uncovers deficiencies in user-centered design for thermal comfort and inclusiveness (design-for-all) in Thailand’s tropical environment. Addressing these aspects is critical for future sustainable railway station design evaluations.

High-speed rail operations, the cross-regional mobility of highly skilled talent, and regional innovation—evidence from the Yangtze River delta in China

ABSTRACT The correlation between high-speed rail (HSR) and regional innovation is vital for studying the economic impacts of HSR. Using 2003–2018 panel data on prefecture-level cities in China’s Yangtze River Delta (YRD), this paper investigates the impact of HSR on regional innovation using a multiperiod difference-in-differences (DID) model. HSR operations have a significant positive impact on urban innovation, as supported by robustness tests. Heterogeneity analysis reveals a threshold effect of cognitive capital on the promoting effect of HSR on regional innovation that is maximized when cognitive capital capacity falls within the range of 0.1254 to 0.1876. Mechanism analysis suggests that HSR construction facilitates the cross-regional mobility of highly skilled individuals. This expanded movement increases innovation within cities due to the resulting knowledge spillovers. Moreover, HSR operations and civil aviation, as well as internet communication tools, play a significant complementary role in promoting regional innovation. This study deepens the understanding of the impact of HSR operations on regional innovation from the perspective of the interregional mobility of highly skilled people. Furthermore, ArcGIS is used to construct the ‘least cost path’ of the HSR network, providing a new approach to addressing the endogeneity of HSR station locations.

COVID-19 control measures unexpectedly increased the duration of stay at High Speed Rail stations during the first community outbreak in Taiwan

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan has implemented strict border controls and community spread prevention measures. As part of these efforts, the government also implemented measures for public transportation. In Taiwan, there are two primary public transportation systems: Taiwan Railways (TR) is commonly utilized for local travel, while the Taiwan High-Speed Rail (THSR) is preferred for business trips and long-distance journeys due to its higher speed. In this study, we examined the impact of these disease prevention measures on the number of passengers and duration of stay in two major public transportation systems during the first community outbreak from April 29th to May 29th, 2021. Using data from a local telecommunications company, our study observed an expected decrease in the number of passengers after the cancellation of non-reserved seats at both TR and THSR stations across all 19 cities in the main island of Taiwan. Surprisingly, however, the duration of stay in some of the cities unexpectedly increased, especially at THSR stations. This unanticipated rise in the duration of stay has the potential to elevate contact probability among passengers and, consequently, the transmission rate. Our analysis shows that intervention policies may result in unforeseen outcomes, highlighting the crucial role of human mobility data as a real-time reference for policymakers. It enables them to monitor the impact of disease prevention measures and facilitates informed, data-driven decision-making.

A comparative study on walking accessibility of high-speed railway station areas in China and Japan based on analytic hierarchy process -- Beijing station and Osaka station as examples

ABSTRACT To capture the factors influencing and measurements of pedestrian accessibility to high-speed rail station areas, ensure the balance between the transportation function and place performance of high-speed railway station areas, the correlation factors and laws of pedestrian space characteristics of high-speed railway station areas under different development modes are studied through the comparison of typical high-speed railway station areas in China and Japan. Combining the circle law and hierarchical analysis method, we establish a walking accessibility index system, construct a walking accessibility evaluation model for the high-speed rail station area, measure the degree of walking accessibility in the high-speed rail station area, and analyze the influence mechanism of different walking space components on the walking accessibility of the high-speed rail station area circle. The results indicate that: 1) Osaka Station space is much more walkable than Beijing Station in all circles; 2) The spatial development within the Beijing Station Station Circle is uneven, and the degree of pedestrian accessibility decreases as the circle’s extent increases; 3)Different station spaces have their own advantages and disadvantages in terms of the distribution of public facilities and amenities, roadway attributes, pedestrian path characteristics, depending on their respective national conditions and station development patterns.

Congestion and Pollutant Emission Analysis of Urban Road Networks Based on Floating Vehicle Data

Global warming caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) is receiving increasingly attention from all over the world, and urban transportation is a significant source of greenhouse gas and pollutant emission. However, the research on traffic state of urban road networks (URNs) based on sparse floating vehicle data (FVD) is insufficient. Therefore, we mainly utilize big data techniques to explore the congestion and pollutant emission of URN with FVD. Firstly, the location of vehicles is identified and matched with the URN. We then grid the FVD and city maps to more accurately identify areas of congestion and emission in later section. Following this, we use the congestion index and K-means clustering algorithm to evaluate the traffic state over time, pollutant emission is calculated based on emission calculation standards and carbon emission is estimated by using the fuel consumption-speed model. The results indicate that congestion and emission are very severe during peak hours (e.g., 8:00 a.m.), particularly in some transportation hub areas, such as high-speed rail stations. During off-peak hours (e.g., 11:00 p.m.), congestion and emission are relatively lower. The negative correlation between congestion index and emission is also revealed. This study provides some practical approaches to more accurately estimate the overall urban traffic state by using sparse traffic data, and may offer support to urban traffic managers in managing traffic congestion and pollutant emissions.

High-Speed Rail and Energy Productivity: Evidence from China

Using the difference-in-differences method combined with the propensity score matching, this study identifies the causal relationship between high-speed rail (HSR) and energy productivity in China. Furthermore, we investigate the mechanism through which HSR affects energy productivity, as well as the heterogeneity of the impact across quantiles and distances. The results show that HSR connection contributes to the improvement of energy productivity. This finding is consolidated after a potential endogeneity problem is addressed using the instrumental variable method and a variety of potential confounders are controlled through a series of robustness checks. On average, the marginal impact of HSR on energy productivity is approximately 9%. Moreover, HSR connection cannot be completely substituted by traditional railway and aviation in improving energy productivity. The heterogeneity analysis suggests that the positive energy productivity effect of HSR gradually decreases with an increasing distance to the nearest HSR station. In addition, HSR network accessibility has a significant positive effect on energy productivity, while technological innovation mediates the relationship between HSR development and energy productivity. We propose that to achieve the long-term improvement of energy productivity, policymakers should comprehensively consider both transit-oriented development and ecology-oriented development modes.

High-speed rail and distribution of economic activities: Evidence from prefecture-level cities in China

Creating new subcenters around suburban transport nodes is a popular policy choice for urban development. In this study, we investigate how high-speed rail stations reshape economics activities in less populous cities. Employing night-light data at the pixel level, we demonstrate that the establishment of a new station has resulted in a flattened economic density gradient for Chinese prefecture-level cities. Notably, however, the gravitational core of urban economic activity does not exhibit a discernible shift towards the station area. This evidence suggests that the station area has not formed into a new subcenter; instead, it might have contributed to urban sprawl. We show that the formation of a new subcenter is tied to several pivotal determinants, which include the level of urban agglomeration, the distance to the original urban center, and government investment in the station area. Further analysis, grounded in a comprehensive dataset of land transactions, reveals that there has been no significant land price appreciation within the station area. This finding raises questions regarding the effectiveness of government-led new town development around the station area.

The impact of high-speed rail construction on the development of resource-based cities: A temporal and spatial perspective

As a province abundant in mineral resources, Henan Province has formed extensive mining subsidence areas during its past economic development, posing a major challenge to the planning and advancement of the high-speed rail (HSR) network. This study investigates the impact of high-speed rail (HSR) construction on the development of resource-based cities (RBC), considering both temporal and spatial dimensions. By utilizing GIS technology, a spatial clustering index was created to assess the spatial influence of HSR on the economic development of RBC. Empirical analysis was conducted using the spatial Durbin model. The findings reveal that both mining subsidence areas and HSR station factors significantly affect the clustering patterns observed in the collected samples. Notably, a regression phenomenon in the classification results emerged after 2017. Specifically, the extensive mining areas in RBC pose significant obstacles to the opening time and routes of HSR, thereby impacting the overall level of urban development. Additionally, in regions with underdeveloped secondary transportation networks, the current development mode of HSR remains primarily focused on "point-to-point" connections.

Analysis of Vehicle-Induced Vibration Response and Comfort in Large-Scale High-Speed Rail Station Buildings with Integrated Bridges

Analysis of Vehicle-Induced Vibration Response and Comfort in Large-Scale High-Speed Rail Station Buildings with Integrated Bridges

Impact of Pedestrian Pavement Design on the Users’ Comfort Level in an Intermodal Passenger Terminal

AbstractThe design of intermodal passenger terminals (IPTs) facilities requires a careful study of different aspects, including the walkability of their pedestrian paths. As for paved surfaces intended for pedestrians, these infrastructures must perform several tasks: greater attention is paid to functional requirements, considering different physical and perceptive people abilities. The regularity, grip and comfort are the prevailing aspects that need more attention from the designer. IPTs’ users are generally passengers performing long trips, who are more likely to carry a luggage: for this reason, the comfort and the effort to which the traveller is subjected when pulling or pushing a suitcase are significant features to analyse. Thus, an integrated approach of experimental measurements was introduced to characterise the comfort level of paved surfaces of the Mediopadana high-speed rail station (Italy), using a smart and original procedure, named stone pavement suitcase trolley test. Through these measurements the hand-arm vibrations perceived by the user, the horizontal forces required to pull or push the suitcase and the work done by the users along a real path were determined. These parameters make it possible to evaluate, from an objective point of view, the comfort of travellers on different pedestrian routes, providing useful tools for their design.

Coupling Computational Fluid Dynamics and EnergyPlus to Optimize Energy Consumption and Comfort in Air Column Ventilation at a Tall High-Speed Rail Station

With the rapid development of railways, the air distribution and thermal comfort within waiting halls of high-speed railway stations receive significant attention. In this research, the EnergyPlus and CFD simulation coupling method was employed to investigate three ventilation schemes (column attached ventilation (CAV), side jet ventilation (SJV), column attached with side jet ventilation (CASJV)) for the waiting hall of a high-speed railway station in Guangzhou. The research focused on analyzing the airflow characteristics, thermal comfort, and cooling energy consumption associated with each ventilation method. The results show that thermal stratification phenomena are obvious in summer waiting halls. Most of the predicted mean vote (PMV) values in the research are from −0.5 to 0.5, indicating a comfortable thermal environment. In certain areas of both the CAV and SJV, the LPD1 > 40%, which may lead to a strong sensation of a cold draft for passengers. Compared with the SJV, the CAV and CASJV save 11.89% and 9.25% in cooling energy consumption, respectively. Therefore, the CASJV is more suitable for applications in high-speed railway station waiting halls. The results of this study aim to support the application of this combination of attached ventilation and an “air column” air supply in high-speed railway stations.

Peer effect in the construction of China’s high-speed rail stations: Empirical evidence from spatial econometric analysis

The construction of China’s extensive high-speed rail (HSR) network is driven by various motives of different participants. This study employs an improved spatial econometric model to examine the motivation of local officials behind the construction of HSR stations. We employ a comprehensive dataset consisting of information about HSR station construction, the promotion of officials, the economic growth rate, etc., in 246 prefecture-level cities in China. The findings suggest that local officials are not making their decisions regarding HSR stations solely on conditions in their own cities. The construction of HSR stations is largely affected by the peer effect arising from geographic adjacency, economic adjacency and administrative adjacency. This is mainly because China’s local officials are engaged in the Promotion Tournament based on Yardstick Competition. Political promotion strengthens the peer effect. In addition, the fact that no directional learning between developed and underdeveloped cities reveals the severity of the peer effect in the construction of HSR stations. This paper has also offered several policy implications based on empirical analysis.

Analysis of the accessibility of connecting transport at High-speed rail stations from the perspective of departing passengers

Accessibility assessment of High-speed rail (HSR) should not be limited to station-to-station analysis, since “first and last mile” transport is crucial. Economic costs, time value, and travel time volatility significantly impact travel decisions but are underexplored. We conducted a multidimensional analysis of the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of the accessibility of HSR stations from the perspective of departing passengers. With data collected from the API of navigation software, measurement methods for static characteristics of accessibility, including time accessibility, economic accessibility, and generalized travel cost accessibility, and dynamic characteristics, were proposed. In terms of dynamic characteristics, the daily fluctuation and long-period fluctuation of travel time were quantified using coefficients of variation. The empirical analysis was carried out for three cities with different scales and transportation system compositions, which are Chengdu, Mianyang, and Leshan. Results reveal significant time and economic accessibility advantages for private and public transport, respectively. The time value at the equilibrium point of the generalized travel cost between the two modes is higher in larger cities, reflecting greater reliance on public connecting transport in metropolitan areas. Private transport has a greater accessibility advantage in the areas of the HSR station away from the core city, while public transport has a more prominent advantage in other cases. Negative correlation is observed between daily fluctuations and linear distance, with public transport exhibiting weaker but more extreme fluctuations. During peak hours, private transport displays greater volatility towards the core urban area. These findings have important policy implications for HSR station location decisions and the planning and operation of connecting transport.