Mass Rapid Transit Research Articles

Development of service quality model computing ridership of metro rail system using fuzzy system

Gradual increase in the pace of urbanization has brought an increase in demand for rapid transit systems throughout the nation. An increase in traffic congestion on roads has led to the recent advent of the Mass rapid transit system thereby accelerating the commuter's interest to prefer them over the conventional railway system. Over the past few years, rapid transit systems like metros have been trying to maintain a steady count of ridership by attracting new commuters while retaining the existing commuters. Thus, it has become routine for organizations to identify the service parameters that serve as the essence of commuter satisfaction or dissatisfaction by implementing additional necessary changes based on commuter perceptions. The study is focused on the service quality measures adopted by the Chennai metro rail operations which have led them to maintain a steady pace of passengers amidst the pandemic season. The resultant statistical analysis and fuzzy evaluation method are confined to about 74.6% indicating decent fitness of the sample size. The significance value of coach conditioning amenities is 0.002 and the ambiance facility is 0.003, further indicating the need to maintain their service pace. Hospitality facility that accounts for a significance value of about 0.000 needs the most improvement to influence the overall service quality satisfaction of commuters towards improving their ridership statistics.

Forecasting metro rail transit passenger flow with multiple-attention deep neural networks and surrounding vehicle detection devices.

In the rapid development of public transportation led, the traffic flow prediction has become one of the most crucial issues, especially estimating the number of passengers using the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system. In general, predicting the passenger flow of traffic is a time-series problem that requires external information to improve accuracy. Because many MRT passengers take cars or buses to MRT stations, this study used external information from vehicle detection (VD) devices to improve the prediction of passenger flow. This study proposed a deep learning architecture, called a multiple-attention deep neural network (MADNN) model, based on historical MRT passenger flow and the flow from surrounding VD devices that estimates the weights of the vehicle detection devices. The model consists of (1) an MRT attention layer (MRT-AL) that generate hidden features for MRT stations, (2) a surrounding VD (SVD) attention layer (SVD-AL) that generate hidden features for SVD devices, and (3) an MRT-SVD attention layer (MRT-SVD-AL) that generate attention weights for each VD device in an MRT station. The results of the investigation indicated that the MADNN model outperformed the models without multiple-attention mechanisms in predicting the passenger flow of MRT traffic.

Accelerated corrosion test and field test of steel and zinc coupons at buffer areas and cross passages in a mass rapid transit tunnel

ABSTRACT A study has been conducted to measure the distribution of temperature, relative humidity and corrosivity due to uniform corrosion along the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) North East Line (NEL) tunnel in Singapore. The corrosion rates of carbon steel 1010 and zinc coupons at the buffer areas of ten stations and five cross passages along the NEL were monitored over a period of one year. The median temperatures were between 31 and 36°C while the median relative humidity varied between 43 and 53%. At all exposure sites, the values of relative humidity corresponding to the 75th percentile values were below 60%, with very few data points registering above 80%. The cross passages showed a lower degree of fluctuations in the temperature and relative humidity compared to the buffer areas. The corrosivity levels showed some differences between exposure sites, but their values were generally low and could be categorised as C1 according to the ISO 9223:2012 categorisation. A set of procedures for an accelerated laboratory test to approximate the corrosion in the tunnel was also studied. The test procedures involved the exposure to a salt fog containing 0.12% Na2SO4 + 0.05% NaCl, followed by a drying phase and subsequent exposure to a constant temperature of 40°C and a constant relative humidity of 60%. It was found that after exposure for 80 h, the accelerated tests were able to generate the degree of corrosion observed in the most severe conditions in the field.

A framework to measure transit-oriented development around transit nodes: Case study of a mass rapid transit system in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is a tool that aids in achieving sustainable urban development. It promotes economic, environmental, and social sustainability by integrating land use and transportation planning. Many researchers have investigated mass rapid transit (MRT) station regions for TOD in developed cities. However, in a developing city such as Dhaka, measuring node-based TOD (TOD index) during MRT construction has been disregarded in planning future land use. Furthermore, no prior research on quantitative TOD measurement in Dhaka exists. As a result, we developed a framework for both quantitative and spatial node-based TOD measurement based on the four Ds (density, diversity, destination accessibility, and design) of the TOD concept. With 17 stations under construction, MRT 6 was selected as our study area. The TOD index was measured by nine indicators based on the four criteria (4Ds), spatially in the geographic information system (GIS). After calculating the indicators, the TOD index for each station's 800m buffer was estimated using the spatial multi-criteria analysis (SMCA). A sensitivity analysis of four TOD scenarios was performed to check the model's robustness. Additionally, a heatmap of the TOD index for MRT 6 was created for informed planning and policymaking. Furthermore, statistically significant hotspots (both Getis Org Gi* and Anselen Local Moran Statistics) and hotspot clusters were identified. Finally, we illustrate the station-based ranking based on the maximum TOD score. In addition, a detailed spider-web of nine indicators for 17 stations depicts sustainable TOD planning. However, regarding density and diversity, sustainable development and (re)development policies should be implemented not only for MRT 6 but for all Dhaka's TOD regions.

Uncovering urban transportation infrastructure expansion and sustainability challenge in Bangkok: Insights from a material stock perspective

AbstractDevelopment of transportation infrastructure that extends roads and railways in Bangkok has overlooked the negative environmental impact of construction material accumulation. To analyze the extent of this impact, we originally established road and railway's material intensity coefficients and investigated spatially explicit roadway and railway material stock (MS) for the years of 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019, and 2037, based upon the master plans’ target year. We further analyzed how MS evolution relates to the city's socio‐economic indicators and CO2 emission. Significant growth is found in transportation MS during 2004–2019, and roadways particularly increased from 122 to 164 million metric tons (Mt). The master plans would require 43 and 6.55 Mt construction materials for roadway and railway extension, respectively, by 2037. More material‐intensive roads (cross‐provincial highways and major local roads) built to the suburbs of the cities and underground/elevated structures of the mass rapid transit system in dense urban areas will require three times the annual cement and steel consumption of that in the 2004–2019 period. Furthermore, a 2–3 fold increase in the number of registered vehicles and associated CO2 emissions during the study period have brought questions to the transportation infrastructure MS efficiency. The findings of this study will enable informed decision‐making regarding the concern of resource consumption and for considering environmentally friendly approaches in urban transportation planning for Bangkok and other developing cities.

Corporate image and service quality: Evidence from Indonesia Mass Rapid Transport

This research aims to identify the factors, including service quality, corporate Image, and perceived Value, that contribute to Mass Rapid Transit Jakarta's customer satisfaction. Mass Rapid Transit is a mass transportation that has become necessary due to the prevalence of private automobiles in Jakarta. This study employs a descriptive quantitative methodology using a survey of 165 Mass Rapid Transit passenger respondents and descriptive statistical analysis and modeling with the Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Square. The results showed that the Quality of Service has a positive effect on passenger satisfaction, the corporate image does not affect passenger satisfaction, the perceived value has a positive contribution to passenger satisfaction, and the Quality of Service has a positive effect on the perceived value. Furthermore, the corporate image positively contributes to perceived value, service quality positively affects customer satisfaction mediated by perceived values, and the corporate image does not affect passenger satisfaction mediated by perceived value. Therefore, mass Rapid Transit Jakarta needs to make various innovations to improve service quality mediated by service quality dimensions that refer to service quality. In addition, the human capital of service officers at Mass Rapid Transit Jakarta needs to be improved in terms of Quality and competency so that passengers' opinions of the service staff are more favorable, increasing both perceived value and customer satisfaction.

The conceptual of barrier-free access for passengers based on transit-oriented development in Greater Jakarta - Indonesia

Increased mobility in the Greater Jakarta area has brought demand for people's accessibility. Providing a barrier-free travel system needs to be supported by understanding travel needs and the characteristics of the user community. This paper aims to describe the actual condition of barrier-free availability for public transport passengers based on Transit Oriented Development, then proposes a development concept. The research was conducted at several public transport nodes in Greater Jakarta, Indonesia. The data analysis method uses a qualitative descriptive analysis which explains the existing condition of the area, facilities, potential, and development plans. From observations, several locations have implemented the barrier-free principle to support the movement of all groups. Barrier-free facilities are generally found at mass public transportation stations such as Light Rapid Transit (LRT) and Mass Rapid Transit (MRT). In contrast, at Commuter Line (CL) stations, the concept has begun to be applied, and barrier-free facilities have been provided even though the number and limited kind. When using public transportation, barrier-free facilities must be improved for all groups, including seniors, people with physical and mental limitations, and pregnant women. Persons with disabilities may experience difficulties in accessing public facilities, such as narrow sidewalks, steep roads, and incomplete pelican crossing systems. Development can refer to regulations that the government has prepared. The development of various public transport that is currently underway must be balanced with the readiness of massive barrier-free facilities. Regulators and public transport operators in Indonesia can use the development of barrier-free facilities in other countries, such as Japan.

A simulation-optimization approach to solve the first and last mile of mass rapid transit via feeder services

This paper focuses on the design of optimal feeder bus routes aimed at serving the commuting demand of suburban areas and increasing the ridership of a mass rapid transit system. The optimization problem presents a multi-objective nature. The transit operator is interested in maximizing the number of users served with the lowest vehicle kilometres travelled (i.e., maximizing profits), whereas passengers seek a high quality of service (i.e., minimizing travel times). An Ant Colony Optimization algorithm is here implemented into an agent-based modelling environment to find the optimal set of routes connecting the service area to multiple transfer stations. The potential demand at a feeder bus stop is estimated according to accessibility indicators, derived from GIS-based demographic data. The model is applied to the case study of Catania (a medium-sized city in Italy) to enhance the accessibility of urban railway stations via public transport. The proposed methodology can be used as a decision-making tool for transport operators and public administrations to understand how to design feeder bus routes to improve the accessibility of public transport.

Designing demand responsive transport services in small-sized cities using an agent-based model

This paper presents an agent-based model (ABM) to simulate and compare two different operation strategies of a public transport service in small-sized cities, namely a fixed-route transit (FRT) and a demand-responsive transport (DRT) service, under varying demand rates and supply configurations. The ABM builds upon a previous work by the Authors, where flexible and feeder services of a Mass Rapid Transit system were simulated. In this paper, instead of a many-to-one pattern typical of a feeder service, we considered a many-to-many one. The objective is to investigate the conditions that make a DRT more attractive than a FRT in small-sized cities and guide its design considering the demand fluctuation, land-use pattern, service constraints and passenger preferences. A dispatching algorithm for the DRT allows to assign each new trip request to a vehicle, and a couple of origin and destination stops, updating the vehicle schedule in real time. The service includes fixed and virtual stops, allowing request consolidation and balancing operator-related (cost of the service) and user-related (quality of service) needs. The model is applied to Vittoria (Italy), a small city with 60,000 residents in Southern Italy where most trips are made by car, also due to the absence of an urban public transport service. First results highlight the benefits of providing a flexible service compared to a fixed one to minimize detours, waiting times and walking distances experienced by passengers while allowing for a higher shareability and efficiency of the service.

Environmental noise impact assessment from mass rapid transit to the adjacent community

Due to the extension of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network throughout the years, the noise generated from MRT had increased and this environmental noise tends to cause annoyance to the adjacent community. The aim of this research is to measure the environmental noise level generated by MRT at one of the MRT stations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, compare the permissible limit and community annoyance response to the measured noise impact to the surrounding community. A total of 4 monitoring points were selected for environmental noise impact assessment. After that, a sound level meter was set up at these monitoring points to measure the sound level. For each monitoring point, the noise level was measured for 6 hours continuously from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm. Based on the results, the noise levels at critical monitoring points exceeded 9.23 % in Taman Midah MRT Station. Little community annoyance is caused in the study areas and this will affect the quality of life of the adjacent community. In conclusion, the environmental noise impact assessment was carried out to safeguard the noise level to be within the noise limit and to enhance the quality of life of the community alongside MRT.

The “15-minutes station”: a case study to evaluate the pedestrian accessibility of railway transport in Southern Italy

The recent sustainability challenges that our world is facing have raised, more than ever, the attention to the mobility of passengers and freight in the European and international agendas. The energy transition that has begun globally requires identifying and adopting safe, resilient, and increasingly sustainable mobility solutions. In this perspective, the modal split of passengers plays an essential role. One of the main encouraged policies is to promote an efficient mass rapid transit in urban and suburban areas. More in detail, when considering rail transport, it is necessary to analyze and evaluate the role of stations from at least two points of view: i) the ease of access to the station; ii) the opportunities that can be easily reached in its surroundings, following the concept of the “15-minutes” city. These two issues should be properly addressed to guarantee the role of railway stations as an access point to the transport system and an infrastructural element that can enhance a territory. Starting from these considerations, this research proposes a GIS-based methodology able to analyse railway stations from two points of view: i) walkability, considering the main functional characteristics of the transport network, and ii) impact on the territory, by identifying the services located in an area corresponding to “15-minutes” distances using active modes. For each railway station, the main activities in a 15-minute walking isochrone can be evaluated, both considering the walking distance on the pedestrian network and taking into account the current walkability of each link based on arc characteristics. This allows to study the accessibility of railway stations based on the current pedestrian network and the potential one with ideal characteristics. The method is applied to a case study located in Sicily (Italy), in the case of some urban stations. The final scope is to design a decision-support framework useful for railway station operators and local decision-makers to support strategic decisions regarding the railway system and the planning of appropriate pedestrian transport networks to increase railway station accessibility.

Predicting the Number of Passengers of MRT Jakarta Based on the Use of the QR-Code Payment Method during the Covid-19 Pandemic Using Long Short-Term Memory

The trend of using public transportation has been rising over the last several decades. Because of increased mobility, public transportation has now become more crucial. In modern environments, public transportation is not only used to carry people and products from one location to another but has also evolved into a service company. In Jakarta, Mass Rapid Transit Jakarta (MRTJ) started to operate in late 2019. Recently, they updated their payment gateway system with QR codes. In this study, we predicted the hourly influx of passengers who used QR codes as their preferred payment method. This research applied machine learning to perform a prediction methodology, which is proposed to predict the number of passengers using time-series analysis. The dataset contained 7760 instances across different hours and days in June 2020 and was reshaped to display the total number of passengers each hour. Next, we incorporated time-series regression alongside LSTM frameworks with variations in architecture. One architecture, the 1D CNN-LSTM, yielded a promising prediction error of only one to two passengers for every hour.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SERVICE QUALITY, PERCEIVED VALUE, SATISFACTION AND BEHAVIOURAL INTENTIONS IN RAIL TRANSIT INDUSTRY

Much has been written about service quality, perceived value and its impacts on satisfaction and behavioural intentions. However, little research on this perspective has been carried out in public rail transit settings in Malaysia. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between service quality, perceived value, satisfaction, and behavioural intentions of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) passengers in Klang Valley, Malaysia. A survey method via structured questionnaire was employed and analysis was performed using Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS). Perceived value for money and service quality are found to be important predictors of satisfaction and behavioural intentions among MRT passengers. Thus, the findings lend support to the means end chain theory. This study also includes a discussion, conclusions, implications, and limitations of the study.

Environmental sustainability or equity in welfare? Analysing passenger flows of a mass rapid transit system with heterogeneous demand

Comfort could be one of the major factors influencing demand for public transit systems across income groups. Those in the high-income group, typically car owners, value comfort more than those in the traditionally captive low-income group. This paper examines the heterogenous effect of crowding on mode choice and the subsequent demand for mass rapid transit (MRT) system across income groups using stated-preference data collected from Dhaka, Bangladesh. The crowding variable was incorporated into mixed logit models as a Bureau of Public Roads (BPR)-type function, establishing non-linear sensitivity of different income groups to the effect of crowding on mode choice. We then estimate equilibrium passenger flows for different income groups for multiple scenarios based on varying levels of fares and capacity under the stochastic user equilibrium (SUE) condition. The consumer surplus, revenue, and total surplus associated with each scenario were calculated. The findings show that fares that maximize social welfare are not equitable as they result in very low MRT demand among the low-income group. Meanwhile, higher fares result in greater demand for MRT among the high-income group, improved social welfare, and less total car use. These results highlight the trade-off between an equitable public transport system and environmental sustainability.

Applying cost–benefit analysis to the economic evaluation of a tram-train system: Evidence from Brescia (Italy)

Implementation of mass rapid transit systems can be quite expensive in mid-sized cities. Technology can help make existing surface rail vehicle-based transit systems interoperable, limiting the investments required for infrastructure. Tram-Train (TT) may be a viable solution because it can integrate the features of railway and tramway systems using specifically tailored light railway vehicles. Although TT is a well-known system, the related literature is still poor and mainly focuses on the qualitative description of general features, technical and organisational issues, and experiments of some components. Specifically, a detailed analysis of economic evaluations of the implementation of a TT system in a mid-sized city is missing from the research results. This study fills this gap by applying a cost–benefit analysis to Brescia (Italy). The results show the potential viability of an innovative interoperable transport system in this city. These outcomes are very useful as they represent the first empirical evidence evaluating the economic feasibility of a TT, as far as the authors know. Therefore, this study may help provide indications for policy makers and transit experts as a benchmark tool for the scientific community for the application of a TT in a city.

Influences and Impressions of Metro Rail Transit Systems in Urban Spaces: A Review

Indian cities have undergone a tremendous urban transformation, particularly in the previous three decades. Urbanization is on the rise, infrastructure is being built quickly, and the social fabric is diversifying, all of which have an impact on the physical environment. It's important to observe that in India, Applied Planning Policies frequently address Urban Transformation brought on by the socioeconomic requirements of the city and aggressive market forces. The quality of a country's transportation infrastructure is one of the most important indicators of its wealth. The main Indian metropolises' economic success has increased as a result of the increased international trade, financial flows, and inter- and intra-city travel. The transportation industry is broad and diversified, but it also confronts its own set of problems that may be solved by using energy-efficient technology and a customer-focused approach. The construction of a Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) project is often anticipated to increase property prices in any given city. Customers, household members, and employees may commute from their homes to their places of employment and to other locations with ease thanks to the MRTS system. It provides the fastest, safest, and most dependable method of commuting. Bengaluru, the capital and largest city of Karnataka, is served by the Bangalore (Namma) Metro, an urban MRTS with two lines and 51 stops. The study on the effects of metro trains on land use, socioeconomic features, and historic structures is thoroughly reviewed in this publication. The evaluation made it clear that additional study is necessary to determine how the effect of metro rails may be

Risk Analysis for Train Collisions Using Fault Tree Analysis: Case Study of the Hanoi Urban Mass Rapid Transit

The urban mass rapid transit (UMRT) Line HN2A is the first light rail transit line in Vietnam. It is also the first time the operational safety assessment for the whole life cycle of a railway project is applied and assessed by an applicable scientific tool. While various industry standard methods have been deployed in many countries, their application is not appropriate for assessing the outdated railway infrastructure in Vietnam. This article proposes a method for generating safety risk models for train collisions using the fault tree analysis (FTA) technique. The FTA method comprehensively evaluates the fundamental error and failure probability that could potentially lead to accidents in general and train collisions in particular on Line HN2A. The study describes the procedure for establishing FTA and determining assumptions based on technical specifications and similar railway systems. Compared with the statistical failure results using data from operational tests and commissioning (2018–2021) of the metro line, the results here indicate that this is a reasonable theoretical model applicable to UMRT in Vietnam. The theoretical model will be processed to generate the first-ever scientific risk assessment system based on empirical evidence. In addition, real-time accident and operation data will continue to be collected and compared to the theoretical model to improve its accuracy. The findings of this study could serve as a starting point for risk management on current and future freight, passenger, and metro lines in Vietnam.

Modeling the pile settlement using the Integrated Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural network by Novel Optimization algorithms: HRBF-AOA and HRBF-BBO

The Pile movement is one of the most crucial matters in designing piles and foundations that need to be estimated for any project failure. Over the variables used in forecasting Pile Settlement, many methods have been introduced to appraise it. However, existing a wide range of theoretical strategies to investigate the pile subsidence, the soil-pile interactions are still ambiguous for academic researchers. Most studies have tried to work out the subsidence rate in piles after loading passing time by artificial intelligence methods. Generally, the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) has drawn attention to show the actual views of pile settlement over the loading phase vertically. This research aims to present the Hybrid Radial Basis Function neural network integrated with the Novel Arithmetic Optimization Algorithm and Biogeography-Based Optimization to calculate the optimal number of neurons embedded in hidden layers. The transportation network of Klang Valley, Mass Rapid Transit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was chosen to analyze the piles’ settlement and earth features using HRBF-AOA and HRBF-BBO scenarios. Over the prediction process, the R-values of HRBF-AOA and HRBF-BBO were obtained at 0.9825 and 0.9724, respectively. The MAE also shows a similar trend as 0.2837 and 0.323, respectively.

Is mass rapid transit applicable for deep integration of freight-passenger transport? A multi-perspective analysis from urban China

• A deep freight-on-rail-transit strategy is proposed to integrate urban transport. • Drivers and barriers to deep FoRT strategy are identified. • Suitability of MRT-based integrated logistics system adoption in China is assessed. • Influencing factors of project adoption and policy implications are suggested. • Government support and public–private partnerships are critical to project success. Integrating goods movement into public/mass rapid transit (MRT) is an emerging initiative to improve urban freight transport services and sustainability. This paper explores new prospects to achieve extensive non-road city logistics based on a deep freight-on-rail-transit (FoRT) strategy. To begin, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of deep FoRT are analyzed in view of the development status quo of urban China. Next, a multi-criteria assessment model driven by real-world data and 11 quantified metrics is proposed to judge the suitability for developing the MRT-based integrated logistics system (MILS) in 16 Chinese cities. Finally, critical factors influencing MILS project adoption are explicated, and the possible supportive policies are discussed from aspects of planning, regulation, funding, marketization, and innovations. Results show that the alignment with national development goals, rich social-environmental benefits, and stakeholder interest are the primary drivers of deep FoRT strategy, whereas poor planning and decision-making, governance and management deficiencies, and high investment could be the main hurdles. Priority of MILS project adoption in the selected cities is divided into four tiers, where Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen are recognized as the three best candidates. Strong and coordinated policies are needed to integrate the strategy into urban planning.

Energy Distribution and Loss Mitigations in DC Mass Rapid Transit by Using On-board Supercapacitor

Energy Distribution and Loss Mitigations in DC Mass Rapid Transit by Using On-board Supercapacitor