Passenger Transport Network Research Articles

Influence of different pathologies on the dynamic behavior and against fatigue of railway steel bridges

Steel railway bridges built throughout the twentieth century represent a very important asset in the railway lines of the entire European network. These bridges, despite their advanced age, continue to be part of passenger and freight transport networks, that provide transport to a large part of society. Given their advanced age, these structures are prone to present higher levels of deterioration in spite of the maintenance tasks that are carried out.The appearance of pathologies in the wheel-rail contact suppose an alteration in the dynamic behavior of the via-vehicle system. This fact gains importance when they appear in bridges, increasing the number of cycles undergone by the structure, breaking down structural elements.In this paper, the structural dynamic behavior of a metallic bridge with the presence of different pathologies is studied. The study is focused on a metal bridge built during the first half of the twentieth century currently in service. The aim of the article is to evaluate the influence of these elements on the remaining life to fatigue that they present.

Market initiative and central planning: A study of the Moscow bus network

The dichotomy of the market initiative and central planning is considered to be one of the main issues in the governance of public transport provision. It relates to the rights of either the operators or authorities to design public transport services. The advantages and disadvantages of these models can motivate the reforms of public transport governance. Such reforms usually result in significant changes in the technical specifications of the public transport services. In this paper, we attempt to study the changes in the Moscow bus network introduced within the reform of public transport governance, the so-called ‘new model of partnership with private operators’ scheme. In 2016, all market-initiated minibus routes were replaced by those directly designed by the Moscow authorities. Since then, the private branch of the Moscow bus system came under a central planning regime with no room for market initiative. The large changes in the network in 2016 opened up a discussion on the impact of public transport governance on the network structure. This paper provides an analysis of the land passenger transport network of 2015 and 2016. It can be useful to describe the paths of network development under different regulatory regimes.

Flexible Bus Route Optimization for Multitarget Stations

This paper proposes a flexible bus route optimization model for efficient public city transportation systems based on multitarget stations. The model considers passenger demands, vehicle capacities, and transportation network and aims to solve the optimal route, minimizing the vehicles’ running time and the passengers’ travel time. A heuristic algorithm based on a gravity model is introduced to solve this NP-hard optimization problem. Simulation studies verify the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed model and algorithm. The results show that the total number of vehicles needed to complete the service is 17–21, the average travel time of each vehicle is 24.59 minutes, the solving time of 100 sets of data is within 25 seconds, and the average calculation time is 12.04 seconds. It can be seen that under the premise of real-time adjustment of connection planning time, the optimization model can satisfy the passenger’s dynamic demand to a greater extent, and effectively reduce the planning path error, shorten the distance and travel time of passengers, and the result is better than that of the flexible bus scheduling model which ignores the change of connection travel time.

Analysis of Passenger and Freight Transportation Network Characteristics of Major Airports in Southeast Asia

Analysis of Passenger and Freight Transportation Network Characteristics of Major Airports in Southeast Asia

Modelling passenger service rate at a transport hub serviced by a single urban bus route as a queueing system

In this paper the daily service rate at a bus stop from the urban passenger transport network is reviewed. The bus stop is located close to a railway and a bus station. A mathematical model has been developed for the average daily incoming flows of passengers to the monitored bus stop. The service rate has been modelled using pulse Dirac delta functions. The daily irregularity of operation of a particular bus line at this bus stop has been evaluated and the operation of the system has been modelled as a queueing system, in order to assess the capacity of the bus line and the organisation of work. The type of incoming flow, as well as the service rate has been defined as a non-stationary Poisson flow. A system of differential-algebraic equations has been chosen as a model according to Kolmogorov’s model for stochastic processes. A specific numerical method for solving system differential equations has been devised with Dirac delta functions in the right part of the equations. Under non-stationary conditions, the basic values of the system parameters have been calculated and an application has been created in a MatLab environment. The results are suitable for accurately determining the routing speed and the average waiting time of the passengers at the bus stop. They can also determine the refusal of passengers to wait at the passenger stop.

Identification of the Node Importance of a Passenger Transport Network in Metropolitan Areas

To identify the node importance of a passenger transport network in metropolitan areas, this study measures the synthetical passenger node importance of cities in three aspects by considering space of flow theory in a social network. First, a framework with eight selected basic features is constructed to identify basic urban attribute indexes by using the traditional node importance method in transport network design. Second, network topology attributes (i.e., aggregation and betweenness degrees) are proposed on the basis of a passenger transport network. Third, an urban linkage model based on the gravity model is developed by considering urban linkage in metropolitan areas. The three aspects are integratively evaluated by using the entire-array-polygon method, and then cluster analysis of the comprehensive node importance of a passenger network is performed using the k-means algorithm. A case study of the Chengdu metropolitan area in Sichuan is conducted, and results verify that the proposed algorithm is reasonable and suitable for identifying the node importance of a passenger transport network in a megalopolis.

Study on Structural Characteristics of China’s Passenger Airline Network Based on Network Motifs Analysis

The air passenger transport network system is an important agent of social and economic connections between cities. Studying on the airline network structure and providing optimization strategies can improve the airline industry sustainability evolution. As basic building blocks of broad networks, the concept of network motifs is cited in this paper to apply to the structural characteristic analysis of the passenger airline network. The ENUMERATE SUBGRAPHS (G, k) algorithm is used to identify the motifs and anti-motifs of the passenger airline network in China. A total of 37 airline companies are subjected to motif identification and exploring the structural and functional characteristics of the airline networks corresponding to different motifs. These 37 airline companies are classified according to the motif concentration curves into three development stages, which include mono-centric divergence companies at the low-level development stage, transitional companies at the intermediate development stage, and multi-centric and hierarchical companies at the advanced development stage. Finally, we found that adjusting the number of proper network motifs is useful to optimize the overall structure of airline networks, which is profitable for air transport sustainable development.

CAPACITY PLANNING OF URBAN ROADS IN CONDITION OF PASSENGERS’ TRAVEL MODE CHOICE

Introduction.The authors conduct the research of the urban passenger transportation problem. Municipal authorities and passengers are regarded as participants of the passenger transportation system. Moreover, the municipal authorities have to optimize road width and public transport frequency. The road consists of a bus lane and lanes for personal vehicles. The vehicle travel time depends on the number of road lanes and passengers’ choice of the travel mode. The passengers’ goal is to minimize total travel costs, including time value. Therefore, the passengers try to find the optimal ratio between public transport and cars.Materials and methods.The mathematical model for choosing the mode of transportation is based on the exponential distribution of the passenger cost. Time of movement on personal transport is described by the BPR model. The conflict between municipal authorities and the passengers is described as a theoretic model.Results.The existence of Nash equilibrium in the model is proved. In addition, the numerical example shows the influence of time value and intensity of passenger flow on the equilibrium of the road width and of public transport frequency.Discussion and conclusions.The presented model allows optimizing the capacity of the road network in conditions of allocated lanes for public transport and the choice of transportation for passengers. Further research would be aimed at managing the number of parking spaces.The task is also to generalize the model of the urban passenger transport network, directions and intersections, which describe the real city roads.

Формування інформаційно-керуючої системи стратегічного планування швидкісних пасажирських перевезень на залізничному транспорті

An analysis of the implementation of recent projects to increase the speed of passenger trains in the existing system of managing rail passenger transportation in Ukraine allows us to draw the following conclusions: decisions on the development of the railway network are taken in a scattered, not interconnected and without a comprehensive assessment of their impact in the long-term operation of the network; there is no centralized system of strategic management of passenger transportation on the railway transport, decisions are taken not in agreement with the main structural units that carry out passenger transportation; there are no theoretically feasible technical and economic calculations regarding the effectiveness of implementing various options for the development of the rail passenger transport network. The above mentioned drawbacks of solving the problems of the development of the railway topology prove the necessity of establishing a Strategic Planning Division within the State Administration of Railway Transport of Ukraine for the implementation of the system of strategic management of passenger transportation. In order to optimize the channels of information gathering and to support the adoption of strategic decisions at the stages of analysis, evaluation, selection of alternatives and control of strategy implementation, ensuring the interconnection of all levels of management, the article proposes to create the Automated System of Strategic Management of Passenger Transport with the implementation of the decision support system for strategic planning of high-speed passenger transport by rail.

Integrated optimization of urban agglomeration passenger transport hub location and network design

Because of the influence of comprehensive hub construction on network flow, this paper adopts the bi-level programming model (BPM) to solve the problem about the integrated optimization of multi-hub location and network layout. The upper level model is designed to minimize the network operating cost, network transformation cost, and hub construction cost; the lower level is the user equilibrium distribution model at fixed demands. Besides, this paper designs the improved genetic algorithm to solve the bi-level programming model and validates the model validity and algorithm feasibility through the computing example. The model has a high application value for solving the problem of comprehensive optimization of intercity passenger transport hub location and intercity passenger transport network design in the process of urban agglomeration development.

INFORMATION SUPPORT OF PUBLIC PASSENGER TRANSPORT NETWORK OPTIMIZATION IN MAJOR CITIES: RELEVANCE AND APPROACHES

Introduction . The article is devoted to the analysis of scientific developments in the sphere of the information support of public passenger transport networks’ optimization in major cities. Currently, insufficient attention is paid to the infobase formation for the urban route networks’ optimization. Materials and methods . The article presents the analysis of the experience for optimization of urban route networks on the basis of identified modern optimization approaches, which should be directed to the generated information support. Typical initial information to process city route networks’ optimization in qualitative and quantitative indicators, which is used by designers of the route network, is reflected. The most time-consuming among the initial information is the matrix of passenger correspondence, some methods of which are not sufficiently developed nowadays. The problems of forming passenger correspondence matrix for major cities are considered. Results . Relevance of the information support methodology to public passenger transport route networks’ optimization in major cities and on the basis of this methodology the correspondence matrix for major cities is substantiated. Therefore, this matrix should contain all types of urban movements, detailing correspondence to the stopping point and provide an acceptable level of results. Moreover, goals and directions for further research in the sphere of information management efficient for route networks’ optimization of public passenger transport in major cities are identified. Discussion and conclusion . The results of the investigation could be used as a basis for scientific research, which should make a significant contribution to improving the efficiency of the urban route networks’ optimization and the quality of transport services for the population, in particular for major cities.

Modelling the resilience of rail passenger transport networks affected by large-scale disruptive events: the case of HSR (high speed rail)

This paper deals with modelling the dynamic resilience of rail passenger transport networks affected by large-scale disruptive events whose impacts deteriorate the networks’ planned infrastructural, operational, economic, and social-economic performances represented by the selected indicators. The indicators of infrastructural performances refer to the physical and operational conditions of the networks’ lines and stations, and supportive facilities and equipment. Those of the operational performances include transport services scheduled along particular routes, their seating capacity, and corresponding transport work/capacity. The indicators of economic performances include the costs of cancelled and long-delayed transport services imposed on the main actors/stakeholder involved—the rail operator(s) and users/passengers. The indicators of social-economic performances reflect the compromised accessibility and consequent prevention of the user/passenger trips and their contribution to the local/regional/national Gross Domestic Product. Modeling resulted in developing a methodology including two sets of analytical models for: (1) assessing the dynamic resilience of a given rail network, i.e., before, during, and after the impacts of disruptive event(s); and (2) estimation of the indicators of particular performances as the figures-of-merit for assessing the network’s resilience under the given conditions. As such, the methodology could be used for estimating the resilience of different topologies of rail passenger networks affected by past, current, and future disruptive events, the latest according to the “what-if” scenario approach and after introducing the appropriate assumptions. The methodology has been applied to a past case—the Japanese Shinkansen HSR network affected by a large-scale disruptive event—the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011.

Integrated urban freight logistics combining passenger and freight flows – mathematical model proposal

Abstract The aim of this research is to propose an urban logistics distribution service which benefits from the already installed passenger transport network. This service is based upon the concept of integration of the existing passenger transport network with the urban freight process. The aim is to reduce the number of fossil combustion powered commercial vehicles traveling within city boundaries, solely for goods transportation, thus contributing to reduce negative effects of urban logistics activities, namely pollution, noise, traffic congestion and accidents. Also, integrating goods and passenger flows will promote higher efficiency rates for the passenger transport network and enhance living conditions within major urban centers. A mathematical model for the operational planning of the proposed urban logistics distribution service is proposed. This model consists of assigning origins loads (or requests) to inbound hubs (bus operator centers), transferring the inbound hubs loads to a bus service, and transferring the bus loads to bus stops, to be collected by micro-logistics operators operating environmentally friendly vehicle fleets. The objective is to minimize the total service time while assuring services synchronization along the network and balancing the loads with the system capacities.

SHORTEST PATH DETECTION USING CLONAL SELECTION ALGORITHM FOR ERZURUM METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY

Optimization algorithms are an approach to solving many problems in everyday life and usually to find the optimal solution for problems with a large solution space. In this study, an optimal route detection approach was developed using the clonal selection algorithm which is a sub-method of the artificial immune system. For this purpose, the road passenger transport network obtained from Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality has been modeled and a bus line which is selected and used from this network has been examined by clonal selection algorithm. The optimization method developed for the proposed approach was implemented in the MATLAB environment and the results obtained are plotted comparatively on Google Maps. The performance of the proposed method was tested and a performance improvement of about 10% was achieved according to the results obtained.

Extended ecological footprint for different modes of urban public transport: The case of Vienna, Austria

Urbanization and population growth in urban areas are linked to increasing passenger transport and decreasing land availability. One option to cope with the negative impacts associated to this growth (i.e. emissions from and land use by traffic) is to strengthen public transport, as it has lower land requirements and higher transportation capacities if compared to private passenger transport by cars. Besides the direct land use within the city borders, transportation systems also cause land use in the hinterland, particularly for the extraction of raw materials, for energy supply, and for the sequestration of greenhouse gas emissions. The study at hand investigated these types of land uses of a multimodal public passenger transport network consisting of subway, tram, and bus transport, taking the case study of Vienna. The land uses distinguished were the direct land use in the city, the direct land use in the global hinterland to provide energy and resources, and the land needed to sequestrate the CO2 emissions emitted. For the latter a distinction between the CO2 emissions from energy consumption (operational energy CO2 hinterland use), and from CO2 embodied in goods and materials (embodied CO2 hinterland use) was made. The overall land use of the public transport system was finally determined and illustrated using an extended ecological footprint (EF) analysis under consideration of the life cycle of used goods and materials. Results were expressed in global hectare (gha/a) for one year and further normalized to the transport capacity and performance of each transport mode.Results indicate that the operational energy CO2 hinterland use contributes most to the overall land use (55,000 gha/a), followed by the embodied CO2 energy hinterland use (15,000 gha/a), the direct hinterland use (1,660 gha/a) and the direct land use within the city (620 ha). This sums up to a total of 72,500 gha/a, which, considering Vienna’s population of 1.8 million inhabitants, equals 0.03 gha/capita.a. The direct land use within the city corresponds to 1.5% of city area and 1% of the EF. Divided by transport mode, the subway has the largest EF (51%) followed by busses (20%), trams (19%), and services (10%). However, the ranking changes when the transport performance is considered. In general it can be taken from the results that the specific environmental efficiency (specific land use per seat kilometer provided) is increasing with growing offer of service per route. Due to the fact that infrastructural and non-operational energy impacts (e.g. construction materials, station lighting and heating) are not increasing substantially with a higher succession of trains the effect is even higher by rail-bound systems. However, if the required transport capacity per hour falls below a certain limit, subways and trams are not only economical, but also environmental less efficient than bus systems.

Dissipating traffic congestion of emergency events through information guidance on mobile terminals

Abstract This paper presents emergency events in the urban road traffic system caused by bus delays buses and consequent congestion problems. It intends to dissipate the traffic congestion of passenger transport network. For the purpose of keeping the order of transit passengers and improving efficiency of transit service, it is important that transit passengers obtain the travel information when transit service is interrupted or delayed. There is also a need for the public transportation authority (PTA) to know how to use travel information to guide the passenger flow assignment and coordinate transport dissipation. This project builds emergency traffic congestion scenarios and adopt the Stated Preference questionnaire to acquire passenger’s travel demand information and distinguish sensitivity of demand factors. Then, it researches on the mechanism of sending group short messages (SMS) including partitioned methods, published time, contents and frequency to bus passengers using mobile terminals. This paper also presents published regulation of group short message sending on mobile terminals in emergency traffic events to PTA.

Characterizing Passenger Flow for a Transportation Hub Based on Mobile Phone Data

As the vital node of a passenger transportation network, the transportation hub is the connection between multiple travel modes and the important port for the massive passenger flow to enter into or exit from a city area. Transportation operators need to understand the passenger flow pattern for hub management, transportation planning, and so on. However, it is difficult to use traditional methods, such as video detection, to provide such information. With the increasing number of mobile phone users, mobile phone data have shown remarkable potential in detecting the transportation information with high sampling coverage and low cost. This paper utilizes the mobile phone data to characterize the passenger flow of the Hongqiao transportation hub located in Shanghai, China. First, a temporal-spatial clustering method is proposed to identify the passenger active area of the Hongqiao hub in the wireless communication space. Second, a classification process is presented to extract different types of passengers in this transportation hub. Subsequently, the access characteristics of passengers in the city are studied for various time intervals. The results further verify the potential of using mobile phone data to monitor and characterize passenger flow related to the transportation hubs.

Impact assessment of extreme weather events on transport networks: A data-driven approach

The present paper presents a data-driven method for assessing the resilience of the European passenger transport network during extreme weather events. The method aims to fill in the gap of current research efforts regarding the quantification of impacts attributed to climate change and the identification of substitutability opportunities between transport modes in case of extreme weather events (EWE). The proposed method consists of three steps concerning the probability estimation of an EWE occurring within a transportation network, the assessment of its impacts and the passengers’ flow shift between various transport modes. A mathematical formulation for the proposed data-driven method is provided and applied in an indicative European small-scale network, in order to assess the impacts of EWE on modal choice. Results are expressed in passenger differentiated flows and the paper concludes with future research steps and directions.

Green vehicle routing in urban zones – A neuro-fuzzy approach

Local city authorities are making a serious effort to expand the number of low-greenhouse gas vehicles (green vehicles) at home. There is no reliable methodology, however, to support the implementation of this passenger transportation concept. In order to optimize the green capacity, a system has been developed to support decision making in urban green vehicle routing. The objective of this paper is to propose a green vehicle distribution model in a public transportation network. The problem has been defined as a problem of non-linear optimization with dispersed input parameters, requiring neuro-fuzzy logic. An adaptive neural network was developed, taking into account the costs to be borne by operators and users, and the environmental parameters along the observed vehicle route. Each input parameter of the neuro-fuzzy model has been placed in a complex context. They were divided into the elements describing in more detail the environmental status, the operator and passenger costs. The advantage of the model is that several factors shaping the input parameters have been taken into consideration. On the other hand, the complexity of urban systems management makes it a considerable challenge, and the surrounding circumstances are difficult to predict accurately. Accordingly, the inputs of the green vehicle model were fuzzified. The Index of Performance (IP) is the output, associated with each branch of the passenger transportation network. The model has been tested on a part of the public transport system in central Belgrade. The results have proven a practical application possible, and a calibration of input parameters allows for full implementation in public transport vehicle routing.

Modeling and Application of Passenger Transport Network Capacity in New Town Based on Control Indicators

In order to reflect the uncertainty of traffic demand and the orienting of planning schemes in new town, a bi-level programming model of passenger transport network capacity is proposed here based on travel choice behavior model. In the model, the objective function is to maximize the road network capacity. The saturation of road sections, the community development intensity and the public transit trip contribution rate are defined as control indicators, among which the interactive control relationships are revealed. Furthermore, a corresponding solution algorithm is also presented. At last, a numeric example is studied to verify the effectiveness of the model and the algorithm. The results show that the model and the algorithm are of highly effective and available in practice.