Intercity Lines Research Articles

Vehicle dispatching and routing of on-demand intercity ride-pooling services: A multi-agent hierarchical reinforcement learning approach

The integrated development of city clusters has given rise to an increasing demand for intercity travel. Intercity ride-pooling service exhibits considerable potential in upgrading traditional intercity bus services by implementing demand-responsive enhancements. Nevertheless, its online operations suffer the inherent complexities due to the coupling of vehicle resource allocation among cities and pooled-ride vehicle routing. To tackle these challenges, this study proposes a two-level framework designed to facilitate online fleet management. Specifically, a novel multi-agent feudal reinforcement learning model is proposed at the upper level of the framework to cooperatively assign idle vehicles to different intercity lines, while the lower level updates the routes of vehicles using an adaptive large neighborhood search heuristic. Numerical studies based on the realistic dataset of Xiamen and its surrounding cities in China show that the proposed framework effectively mitigates the supply and demand imbalances, and achieves significant improvement in both the average daily system profit and order fulfillment ratio.

Feasibility Study of the Organisation of Intercity Fast Ship Lines – the Case of Croatia’s Maritime Passenger Transport

This study explores the scientifically based possibilities and potential effects of connecting cities in the Republic of Croatia through the organisation of intercity fast ship lines in maritime passenger transport. Through a meticulous analysis a model of an abstract type of transport has been chosen in order to estimate the possible contribution of intercity lines in maritime passenger transport towards the development of the transport system of the Republic of Croatia, and also to determine the feasibility of introducing these lines with the aim of achieving balance among certain forms of transport. The results of this research indicate the economic, environmental, and energy justification of the organisation of intercity fast ship lines and their competitiveness in comparison with other forms of transport.

Optimal control of electric automated buses in intercity lines: scenario-based analysis of the Pareto-optimal solutions

This paper deals with the optimal control of electric and automated buses that have to follow an intercity line, where some stops are equipped with a flash-charging infrastructure to charge the batteries, while others are not. In order to control these buses, it is necessary to account for the traffic conditions along the roads of the bus line, and to minimize two objectives related to the deviations from the bus timetable and the lack of energy, at the end of the bus trip, with respect to a desired final energy level. The resulting optimal control problem is a multi-objective linear quadratic problem with both continuous and integer variables. In this paper, we propose and apply two methods based on lexicographic ordering aimed at determining the Pareto-optimal solutions of the control problem in twelve scenarios inspired by a real case.

Effects of Digitalization on Labor Market Development in Transport Sector in Post- Covid Environment

The development of digitalization processes in a post-pandemic environment has the potential to seriously affect the labor market in the transport sector in South- Eastern European countries, which sector is not prepared for such a transformation. An increasing number of transport companies will face the dilemma of keeping their workforce or replacing it with digital devices and robots. The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to many small and medium-sized enterprises bankruptcies in the sector, will make it even more difficult for transport companies to remain competitive both on the national and European transport market. Based on statistical and descriptive analysis, the article aims to forecast the emerging trends in the sector and to give recommendations for a smooth transition, considering the specifics of the transport sector in terms of social and technological sustainability. The study identifies the problems, related to the digitalization of the transport sector and reveals the possibilities for their overcoming in regard to road passenger carriages in intercity lines in developing countries with transition economies like Bulgaria.

Impact of powertrain electrification on the overall CO2 emissions of intercity public bus transport: Tenerife Island test case

The adoption of plug-in electric buses are seen as a promising alternative to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the public transport system. Although from an operational point of view this type of vehicles are zero-emissions, the upstream phase contribution can be considerably high in regions with high carbon grid intensities.This paper presents a simulation study to evaluate the energy consumption and the corresponding well-to-wheels (WTW) CO2 emissions of conventional diesel, parallel hybrid and battery electric buses. The test case is the island of Tenerife, an isolated power system highly dependent on fossil-fuels for power generation. Validated models of the aforementioned propulsion architectures were simulated over five representative cycles, covering city and intercity lines with noticeable differences in terms of driving behaviour, distance and gradient. Although battery electric buses present energy consumption reductions of 70% compared to conventional powertrains, the large carbon grid intensity of the island has a negative effect on their potential to reduce WTW CO2 emissions. The results evince that parallel hybrids provide the largest benefit to abate WTW CO2 emissions, reaching a reduction figure of 38% compared to its conventional diesel counterpart.

Mapping carbon emissions of China's domestic air passenger transport: From individual cities to intercity networks

As a significant carbon emission source with high growth potential, the air transport sector plays a crucial role in China's decarbonisation efforts. However, the spatial pattern and evolutionary dynamics of aviation carbon emissions in China have not been thoroughly studied. This study proposed a framework to reveal the spatial characteristics and influencing factors of aviation carbon emissions at the city level. Using data from 2019 to construct the aviation carbon emissions network of China (ACENC), the novelty of the study lies in the subdivision of carbon emissions of air passenger transport into cities and intercity lines in China, which helps to reveal the spatial characteristics of individual cities in the intercity network. Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, and Guangzhou were the cities with the highest carbon emissions, and the routes between these cities caused a significant amount of carbon emissions. >80 % of the total carbon emissions can be attributed to two communities in the network, owing to their large size and strong connections. Correlation analysis indicates that a city's carbon emissions are significantly related to its demographic and economic attributes as well as its connection with other cities, while a city's carbon emission intensity may be influenced by its centrality in the whole network and the structure of the community to which it belongs. Overall, the presented results provide directions for stakeholders and policymakers to regulate carbon emissions from air transportation.

A Station Location Identification Model for an Integrated Interoperable High-Speed Rail System

Integrated interoperable rail systems facilitate high-speed rail (HSR) train movement on conventional intercity lines, and vice versa. Hence, for such rail systems, it is preferred that HSR stations are located at existing intercity rail stations. However, all existing intercity stations may not satisfy the ridership potential and inter-station spacing required for HSR operation. Providing more stations increases access to intermediate locations, boosting ridership, but also increases overall travel time. On the contrary, fewer stations and stops reduce overall ridership of the HSR. We propose a geographic information system-based interoperable HSR station location identification approach along existing intercity rail stations to identify suitable integrated interoperable HSR and intercity station locations. Avoiding environmentally sensitive land (such as wetlands, forests, etc.), and other requirements such as threshold inter-station distance and travel time between intended station locations and threshold population of the intended station region, are included as environmental, and corridor specific constraints, respectively. A heuristic approach is used to evaluate and obtain the candidate set of station locations that maximizes ridership and minimizes travel time, such that an integrated interoperable HSR and intercity corridor can be developed. The Mumbai–Ahmedabad conventional intercity corridor is used as a case study to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed model by identifying possible HSR station locations.

Valuation of Transport Service Characteristics Relevant for the Establishment of Fast Inter-City Lines in Sea-Borne Passenger Traffic

This paper analyses and evaluates major characteristics of transport services relevant for the organization of fast inter-city lines in maritime passenger transport. Service characteristics that have been subjected to research and assessment include: 1) individual travel costs, 2) travel duration, 3) travel safety, 4) social costs of transport, 5) ability to create a traffic service and 6) other elements of the traffic service. Using descriptive statistics and growth matrix, the analysis reveals that the Ability to create a traffic service and Travel duration, both having direct growth rates of 75 %, will have the largest impact on the establishment of fast inter-city sea-borne lines, followed by the Social costs of transport with the direct growth rate of 68.42 %. The impact of other transport service characteristics on the organization of fast inter-city lines in maritime passenger transport is estimated as moderate.

A fuel consumption model for public transportation with 3-D road geometry approach

Public transportation fuel consumption modeling shows a great importance because of economic and environmental aspects. Considering to the metropolises with millions of inhabitants with circulating thousands of buses that uses intercity lines, its importance is becoming vital in planning both operation of transportation company and city mobility planning. In this context a detailed fuel consumption modelling approach for public transportation buses was used for vehicle fuel consumption assessment during operation. The methodology was developed with IPG TruckMaker + AVL Cruise co-simulation environment following instantaneous speed, load and 3-D road data primarily besides model parameters. The model was validated at one of the most important public transportation axle of the world, Istanbul Metrobus System, at two direction which carries over ~1 million passenger daily in 24 hours operation with petrol engine buses. The comparison simulation/measurements showed that the proposed fuel consumption model is accurate and can predict fuel consumption behavior for public transit buses in a reliable band. In addition, this methodology can be used to investigate various powertrain and operating scenarios near future for more efficient public transportation with high reliability.

Railway Hub Cities and TEN-T Network (RAILHUC Project) – How to Improve Connectivity Around Several Central European Railway Hub Cities?

Central Europe cities are the “first / last legs” of transnational transport chains. These chains consist of local, regional and transnational transport systems. On the one hand high speed connections among rail hubs in Central Europe are being upgraded, especially on TEN-T networks and along the main intercity lines. On the other hand nevertheless rail and in general public transport bound feeder lines need to be upgraded, strengthened and better organized. That calls for a multimodal integration of local/city transport networks, regional transport systems and transnational transport axes in particular TEN-T. In fact the main elements of this integration are constituted by city rail hubs.In order to enhance rail transport by improving the feeding functions on rail of major hub cities and their respective regions 11 partners from 7 countries cooperate in the RAILHUC project. This project aims to improve Central Europe's interconnectivity by an intermodal integration of rail hubs at three different levels: into the TEN-T system, into regional and local transport rail and non-rail systems. The challenge that the RAILHUC partners share is the development of models, concepts, measures, harmonized strategies and policy actions targeted at the embedding of the urban and regional transport systems into the intercity rail transport throughout the whole Central Europe area. This paper aims to give an overview about the modelling results and the designed interventions planned at participating hub cities and their respective catchment area.

Flexible Connections in PESP Models for Cyclic Passenger Railway Timetabling

In this paper we describe how rolling stock and passenger connections in a cyclic railway timetable can be modeled in a flexible way within the model for the Periodic Event-Scheduling Problem (PESP). Usually, PESP models assume that the constraints for rolling stock or passenger connections specify in detail which trains should connect with each other. However, the flexibility described in this paper allows the model to choose which trains should connect with each other in a rolling stock or passenger connection. We express the connection times in a minimum matching of arriving and departing trains in terms of certain process time variables. We also describe an abstract framework demonstrating that, under certain conditions, the extra flexibility can be modeled purely in terms of PESP constraints. The concept of flexible rolling stock and passenger connections is illustrated by an example based on three intercity lines of Netherlands Railways.

Passenger rail in North America in the light of developments in Western Europe and Japan

Because of different geo‐demographic and economic conditions, the impact of the new passenger modes (road and air) on rail travel was much larger in North America than in Europe. In 1960s and 1970s, as the railway share of intercity traffic in North America shrunk to a negligible one or two percent, the passenger trains were abandoned by private railway companies and taken over by state organizations, which have continued to operate traditional trains and generate mounting losses. On the technology side, no attempts have been made to improve competitiveness of trains vis‐a‐vis automobiles and airplanes. In Europe and Japan, the railways responded to the challenge by (i) upgrading the performance (speed) and comfort of traditional trains operating on existing tracks and (ii) developing trains which could, on short and intermediate range distances, compete successfully, in terms of speed and economy, with the road and air modes. The Japanese (Shinkansen trains) and French (TGV trains) experience clearly shows that trains operating on dedicated lines at average speeds of 150 to 200 km/hr provide a superior transportation service and economy on high‐traffic intercity routes of up to about 500 km length. In this paper the factors responsible for the present status of passenger rail in North America are analysed, the current policies in the U.S. and Canada are evaluated in the light of experience to date and developments abroad, and suggestions for a long‐term passenger rail policy are made. This includes examination of (i) the viability of continued subsidization of traditional train services, (ii) the viability of operation of faster trains on existing tracks, (iii) the scope for introduction of modern, fast trains on dedicated lines in high‐density, intercity corridors, (iv) the application of fast trains as access to major airports and integration of airports with fast intercity lines, and (v) the impact of energy (oil) consumption in transportation.

A developmental line-switched teletypewriter service: Data set and systems considerations

THE DECADE following the end of World War II saw an unprecedented growth in the number and extent of private-line teletypewriter systems; this was accompanied by technological developments aimed at efficient utilization of intercity lines, speed and security of message delivery, facility of message preparation, and flexibility of operation. The trend was toward increased automation and full employment of the switching techniques which were being developed in the communications industry.

Television Transmission Over Wire Lines

Intercity networks appear vital to the success of television broadcasting. Experiments with wire lines for this purpose and for local transmission of present-day television signals are reported herein. The design and construction of the equipment used are described and its performance characteristics given. The intercity lines discussed involve carrier transmission over coaxial cable with repeaters which pass a net band of about 2¾ megacycles. For local intracity connections video transmission of about a 4 mc band is obtained over existing telephone plant or by means of special low attenuation cable. Varopis corcuit arrangements including the facilities used in bringing scenes from the Republican Convention in Philadelphia to the N. B. C. in New York are shown together with their overall television transmission characteristics.

Television transmission over wire lines

Intercity networks appear vital to the success of television broadcasting. Experiments with wire lines for this purpose and for local transmission of present-day television signals are reported herein. The design and construction of the equipment used are described and its performance characteristics given. The intercity lines discussed involve carrier transmission over coaxial cable with repeaters which pass a net band of about 2 3/4 megacycles. For local intracity connections video transmission of about a 4 mc band is obtained over existing telephone plant or by means of special low attenuation cable. Various circuit arrangements including the facilities used in bringing scenes from the Republican Convention in Philadelphia to the N.B.C. in New York are shown together with their overall television transmission characteristics.