Rail Bus Research Articles

Assessment of the Environmental Costs of Rail Buses in Poland Based on Research in Real Operating Conditions

Assessment of the Environmental Costs of Rail Buses in Poland Based on Research in Real Operating Conditions

Determining the energy efficiency indicators of the diesel train DPKr-2 and the rail bus 620M based on traction calculations using the numerical method of solving the equation of train movement

The purpose of the article is to compare the technical and energy parameters of the diesel train DPKr-2 and the railbus 620M based on traction calculations using mathematical modeling when solving the train movement equation. The mathematical model of the train is adapted to determine the movement parameters of the specified rolling stock units according to different variable phase coordinates for different movement modes. To achieve this purpose, the authors used methods of system analysis, nonlinear programming, and numerical methods for solving differential equations. The accuracy of the calculations was verified using simulation modeling methods and compared with experimental data. To analyze the results, the obtained indicators of traction calculations – technical speed and specific consumption of diesel fuel – were compared. As a result of the comparison, the specific fuel consumption per ton-kilometer meter, a significant saving of energy resources is observed. Comparative specific fuel consumption per passenger-kilometer meter, on the contrary, indicates an increase in the consumption of energy resources. The mathematical model of the train is adapted to determine the movement parameters of diesel trains and rail buses according to different variable phase coordinates for different drive modes. The practical significance lies in determining the efficiency indicators of the use of different types of rolling stock on the railways of Ukraine, taking into account economic, social and migration factors.

Modern vehicles for regional railways

The paper analyses the history of two-axle rail vehicles (rail buses) used for operation on regional lines in Czechoslovakia. It also shows trends in the development of modern light autonomous rolling stocks usable for passenger transport on unprofitable regional lines in Western Europe. The measures adopted in the transport policy of the Czech Republic for the period 2021–2027 for regional railway vehicles in the Czech Republic are presented. The final part of the paper presents the results of study of the concepts of a two-axle hybrid and electric rail buses and a conceptual design of a modular solution of a partially low-floor vehicle BEMU and HEMU for passenger regional rail transport. This paper shows that it is very problematic to create a light rail vehicle (LVR) that will be economical and environmentally friendly for regional transport and at the same time will meet the requirements of standards ČSN EN 12 663, category P2 and ČSN EN 15 227, category C I and will be friendly to road users.

Resilience assessment framework toward interdependent bus–rail transit network: Structure, critical components, and coupling mechanism

Understanding the interdependent nature of multimodal public transit networks (PTNs) is vital for ensuring the resilience and robustness of transportation systems. However, previous studies have predominantly focused on assessing the vulnerability and characteristics of single-mode PTNs, neglecting the impacts of heterogeneous disturbances and shifts in travel behavior within multimodal PTNs. Therefore, this study introduces a novel resilience assessment framework that comprehensively analyzes the coupling mechanism, structural and functional characteristics of bus–rail transit networks (BRTNs). In this framework, a network performance metric is proposed by considering the passengers’ travel behaviors under various disturbances. Additionally, stations and subnetworks are classified using the k-means algorithm and resilience metric by simulating various disturbances occurring at each station or subnetwork. The proposed framework is validated via a case study of a BRTN in Beijing, China. Results indicate that the rail transit network (RTN) plays a crucial role in maintaining network function and resisting external disturbances in the interdependent BRTN. Furthermore, the coupling interactions between the RTN and bus transit network (BTN) exhibit distinct characteristics under infrastructure component disruption and functional disruption. These findings provide valuable insights into emergency management for PTNs and understanding the coupling relationship between BTN and RTN.

Rail News From 1912

News from the archives The issue suggests a small collection of news from the Zheleznodorozhnoe delo [Rail Business] journal, that had reproduced them from other media of that period. The diversity of topics proves the existence of different issues that were relevant in 1912: adoption of round trips – similar to modern reduced fares for purchase of two way ticket, discussion of timeliness of emergence of rail bus in the Far East, accession of future Moscow Institute of Railway Engineers (now – Russian University of Transport) to the status of the institute of higher education. Style, lexis, punctuation are kept maximally authentic.

Transfer station choice in a multimodal transit system: An empirical study

Connectivity between modes and lines constitutes a core aspect for multimodal transport system user experiences. Using a large-scale transit smart card dataset, we reveal transfer station choices in bus–rail intermodal trips frequently deviate from the “nearest-station” heuristics, motivating research to better explain real transfer behaviors and define more realistic station catchment areas. The investigation is centered on modeling transfers from bus to rail using multinomial logistic regression discrete choice models applied to 200k observations from four weeks of transit smart card observations. The results show that: (1) for trips requiring an intermodal transfer, riders select the nearest rail station in only 40% of cases; (2) commuters’ transfer station selections are jointly influenced by the trip attributes of all involved modes, with the bus ride distance contributing the most, followed by the walking distance; and (3) commuters’ sensitivity to travel distances exhibits nonlinear trends: sensitivity to bus ride distance dampens gradually as a function of trip length, while the sensitivity to walking distance exhibits a concave shape peaking at around 0.6 km. Catchment area modeling reveals that (4) location attributes (e.g., distance from the city center) play a greater role in defining the station catchment area than other attributes (e.g., land use and built environment). Specifically, the catchment area radius is larger for stations located further away from the city center or from the nearest interchange station. Moreover, (5) stations with more amenities (e.g., higher density of shops and greater accessibility) are likely to attract commuters from a larger area. This study strengthens the connections between station selection patterns and station catchment area analysis, to better guide intermodal transit design and operations, such as improving predictions of passenger flows at transfer stations.

Exploring the robustness of public transportation system on augmented network: A case from Nanjing China

A highly robust urban public transportation network is the foundation for the stable and sustainable development of a city. Managers may benefit from a reasonable investigation into the robustness of the public transportation system to recognize and deliver improved public transportation services. This paper developed a robustness analysis framework for public transportation systems on augmented network (AN). Specifically, an AN was first built to treat the public transit network from a multi-layer perspective. The AN carefully considers the boarding, alighting, riding and transfer behaviors, and develops cost functions under the congestion effect, thus sufficiently simulating the real passengers’ behaviors. Then, the user equilibrium (UE) assignment model, a model widely used for passenger flow forecasting, is applied to guide the robustness analysis under cascading failures. Finally, a real large-scale bus–rail hybrid network in Nanjing is used as a case study. The results show that the initial station capacities are significant to the impact of the cascading failure, from which we conclude that a larger initial capacity of stations can prevent the cascading failures. By investigating the relationship between passenger flow and cascade size, the comparative results further explain the mechanisms of cascading failures. Thanks to the AN and UE, three types of travel times can be compared to reflect the quality of public passenger trips, which should provide traffic managers with pertinent advice for improving service.

The Aachen Rail Shuttle ARS - Autonomous and energy self-sufficient feeder transport

This article is about a research and development project that deals with the rail bus of the 3rd generation. The vehicle concept is aimed to be energyself-sufficient and locally emission free. It has the dimensions of a standard city road bus and is designed to operate autonomously on sight in rural areas. The Aachen Rail Bus (ARS) is intended to provide a significantly better service by shorter headways in order to attract more passengers from the countryside to the rail. The research challenges are to prove that the ARS can operate at line of sight, that the energy storage system is suitable for the proposed operation concept and that the passive safety system protects the light and relatively weak passenger compartment, which shall be easily exchangeable by an adequate interface to the chassis that includes all technical equipment.

THE DEGREE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES IMPLEMENTATION IN TRANSPORTATION BASED ON AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF RAIL BUSES' LIFE CYCLE

The article presents an economic analysis of the life cycle of rail buses. As this analysis part, the costs incurred by the user in the exploitation phase of a rail bus were assessed. The cost estimate was based on the author’s own method of forecasting the exploitation costs of a technical object (e.g. means of transport, equipment, machinery), which takes into account the variability of the costs incurred over time. The article also provides the implementation of the aforementioned method, verifying its practical application when estimating the exploitation costs of technical objects. Experimental verification aimed at assessing the usability of the cost forecasting method is the purpose of this article. The verification was carried out for eight single mode X type rail buses produced by the same manufacturer. The experimental verification of the method used to estimate exploitation costs in the life cycle of objects consisted in: 1. Conducting reliability analysis of the exploitation objects in order to obtain data of technical and economic nature; 2. Entering data into the method and calculating cost forecasts; 3. Assessing correctness of the results. The degree of accuracy of the exploitation cost forecast was measured using ex post relative forecast error. The compatibility analysis of the forecast cost values with the actual ones showed their high compatibility, as evidenced by the level of the estimated relative errors (the average error was 4.9%). Therefore, it can be concluded that the prognostic value of the method is relatively high.

Modeling and simulation of a control system of wheels of wheelset

Modern light rail vehicles, such as a tram or rail bus, due to the need to provide mobility for the elderly or disabled people and the requirements of operators operating passenger rail transport or transport in urban areas must have a 100% low floor. Structurally, this is associated with the use of wheelset with independently rotating wheels (IRW) in such vehicles. It is also possible to use a bogie structure without the use of a wheelset axle by mounting the wheels directly in the side parts of the bogie frame. This construction is more complex and will not be discussed in this article. Bearing in mind the dynamic behavior of such vehicles during operation (lateral stability, profile wear) in various driving conditions (curve traffic, crossovers) and taking into account operating costs, it becomes necessary to install wheel rotation control systems to maintain center movement mass of the wheelset around the centerline of the track. The subject of the article will be considerations on modeling and simulation of rail vehicle bogie motion with IRW sets including the wheel control system. Nominal and mathematical models of the analyzed vehicle will be presented, as well as a controlled strategy based on the comparison of the angular velocities of the wheels of the wheelset A review of works on solutions of such systems will be presented, and a control concept will be proposed. The summary contains conclusions regarding the possibility of practical use of the proposed method of steering wheels of a wheelset in the c ase of independently rotating wheels.

Оценка эффективности пневматического тормоза рельсового автобуса РА-3

Braking system is a very important element of any rolling stock unit, as transportation process safety depends on its efficiency and reliability. Rail buses represent development of diesel trains intended for passenger service on non-electrified track sections. A sudden obstacle on the track requires immediate full stop of the rolling stock, it is urgent to have effective braking which provides the least brake path length. The paper presents results of brake path length calculation for РА-3 rail bus in two-car version with iron and composite brake pads.

MODEL OF OPTIMIZATION OF PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION IN A LARGE TRANSPORT HUBS AT THE USE OF RAIL BUSES

In this paper, a mathematical model for optimizing the activity of a large transport hub is proposed. The proposed model takes into account only passenger transportation. The goal of optimization is to determine: the number of rail buses assigned to the node; Optimal tariffs for transportation; Distribution of transport units in directions depending on the random demand for transportation. The possibility of attracting additional transport units in case of inadequate own transport is taken into account. The model takes into account the impact of competitive motor transport.The proposed mathematical model is based on a two-stage two-level stochastic programming problem with a quantile criterion. This formulation of the problem takes into account several known approaches to modeling complex economic relations.The decision-making process in this model has a two-stage structure. To simulate the two-stage structure of decision-making, a two-stage problem of stochastic linear programming is used. The strategy of the first stage is the number of rail buses assigned to the node, and tariffs for transportation in each direction. At the second stage, the rail buses are distributed along the directions in the transport hub, depending on the realization of the random demand for transportation.In this case, there is the possibility of attracting for an additional fee rail buses, not assigned to the node. Rail buses serve both the directions of the transport hub and the directions from other transport nodes to the node that is being considered. So, the strategy of the second stage is the number of own rail buses allocated for transportation in each direction, and the number of additional provided rail buses in each direction.The strategy of the first stage is determined for several planned periods. In each of the planned periods, the strategy of the second stage is selected anew, depending on the implementation of random demand and the chosen strategy of the first stage.To take into account the influence of the competitor, a two-level task is used. It assumes the participation of two players in the market: the leader (transport hub) and the follower (competitor in the form of vehicles). The follower chooses his strategy, knowing the strategy of the leader. The follower strategy is the prices for transportation in each direction and the corresponding volumes of traffic. The leader in choosing his optimal strategy takes into account the optimal strategy of the follower.

Network survivability and recoverability in urban rail transit systems under disruption

It is important for an urban rail transit system network to be resilient in the event of a disruption, and to be capable to recover in the shortest possible time. This study presents a holistic approach to analyse the survivability and recoverability of an urban rail–bus transit network during and after a disruption. A maximum survivability-minimum recovery time approach was formulated in this study to determine the number of affected passengers in the rail network during a disruption, the number of passengers who need to be transferred to alternate transport modes, and the recovery duration. A case study based on the Singapore urban mass rapid transit and bus networks is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the authors’ proposed framework. It was found from their analyses that the proposed framework could provide information on the state of rail network resilience given different disruption scenarios and estimate the recovery time after disruption occurrence.

РАЦІОНАЛЬНЕ ВИКОРИСТАННЯ РЕЙКОВОГО ТРАНСПОРТУ У ВЕЛИКИХ МІСТАХ УКРАЇНИ

The purpose. The aim of the article is to improve the terminology of the concept of "urban rail transport", which will allow efficient use of all types of rail transport in large cities and optimize the costs of its development and operation. To reduce costs of local budgets by transportation of people with commuters to the big city is necessary develop the existing classification of passenger trains in Ukraine and additionally include the urban of rail transport. Methods. In work are applied method of determining the optimal zones move suburban trains and principles of classification of passenger trains in Ukraine. Results. Analyzed the activity of all kinds of urban rail transport, defined the scope of their rational use, special attention is paid to the rail mode of transport, which can simultaneously ply on the territory of the railroad and within the big city. In view of this, was further developed existing classification of passenger trains in Ukraine. Scientific novelty. On the basis of studies suggested improved terminological concept of "urban rail transport'', which differs from the existing inclusion of all possible forms of rail transport, which will allow rational use of them in a big city and to optimize the costs of its development and exploitation. Has been further developed an existing classification of passenger trains in Ukraine, which further includes urban rail vehicles, which are used for railway rolling stock, namely electric trains and rail bus, which will reduce the costs of local budgets for the carriage of people with of suburban zone into the city. The practical significance. Use improved terminological concept of "urban rail transit" allows rationally use all types of rail transport in large cities and optimize the costs of their development and operation. The introduction of an improved classification of passenger trains in Ukraine will expand the boundaries of operation of rail transport and reduce the costs of local budgets for the carriage of people with of suburban zone to the big city.

Evaluating the attractiveness of a new light rail extension: Testing simple change and displacement change hypotheses

Many communities in the United States have been adding new light rail to bus-predominant public transit systems. However, there is disagreement as to whether opening light rail lines attracts new ridership or merely draws ridership from existing transit users. We study a new light rail line in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, which is part of a complete street redevelopment. We utilize a pre-test post-test control group quasi-experimental design to test two different measures of ridership change. The first measure is calculated from stops along the light rail route; the second assumes that nearby bus stops might be displaced by the rail and calculates ridership change with those stops included as baseline. Both the simple measure (transit use changes on the complete street light rail corridor) and the “displacement” measure (transit use changes in the one-quarter mile catchment areas around new light rail stops) showed significant (p<.01) and substantial (677%) increases in transit passengers compared to pre-light rail bus users. In particular, the displacement analysis discredits a common challenge that when a new light rail line opens, most passengers are simply former bus riders whose routes were canceled in favor of light rail. The study suggests that light rail services can attract additional ridership to public transit systems. In addition, although pre-post control-group designs require time and effort, this project underscores the benefits of such quasi-experimental designs in terms of the strength of the inferences that can be drawn about the impacts of new transit infrastructure and services.

HYBRID POWER-PLANT FOR RAILWAY TRANSPORT WITH A HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION

The article considers the features of rolling stock operating modes, which equipped with hydraulic transmission (shunting locomotives, diesel trains and rail buses). Despite the many advantages of hydraulic transmission compared with the electric power transmission diesel-hydraulic power system has the same shortcomings during operations - a significant portion of operating time on inefficient and non-environmental conditions. In order to reduce such operation modes of rolling stock, proposed a hybrid (integrated) power plant in the form of hydraulic energy accumulator.

The station access task in Melbourne

This paper reviews rail station access outcomes and potentials across the Melbourne metropolitan area. Assumptions and discussions around rail transit access tend to emphasise the issue of park and ride (P&R) to a degree that is not borne-out by the reality of access to stations in usage statistics. Equally, a great deal of energy is invested in discussion of sustainable planning and ‘integration’, without making the vital connection between mass transit and new investments in walking and in cycling infrastructure for access to transit. In this paper, we critically review the level of performance in station access mode shares across Melbourne – using techniques such as cluster analysis, in combination with mapping and cross-references to broader demographic and land-use trends. We find that P&R in Melbourne are sometimes a ‘poor fit’ by being heavily utilised in some middle-suburban locations. Melbourne's bus–rail connectivity is patchy – with some locations delivering high levels of bus-based access to rail and other locations under-playing this important option. Trams are found to be a surprisingly important and high-impact mode of access to heavy rail, and implications from this finding are put forward. Melbourne demonstrates poor outcomes in generating trips to the station by bicycle – and the paper delivers discussion and suggestions around a potential new direction for cycling policy and infrastructure in Melbourne.

Effect of Changes in Time and Fares of Highway Buses and City Railroads on Transportation Activities :Plans and Performance of the Intermodal Transport Policy

Environmental problems are becoming worse, and increase in the movement of people is also causing concerns. However, the change of transport activities is slow, the unnecessary use of cars has not adequately decreased and the optimum conditions of transport activities are not satisfied from a viewpoint of mobility and accessibility. An intermodal transport policy for highway buses and city railroads is necessary to effectively use the social infrastructures in neighboring cities where various transportation options exist. We must change from cars to use of public transit. However, the convenience of transfer to highway buses and city railroads can not be clearly incorporated. In this study, to plan and perform an intermodal transport policy in regional public transportation planning, we quantitatively verified the intermodal transport policy for the construction of a transportation network system connecting the highway and the city railroads in neighboring cities at the planning stage. Specifically, we investigated the various factors affecting the transport activities of the inhabitants of Kameoka in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan along the Kyoto Jyukan Highway. A questionnaire based on this area was used to analyze the transport activities of the inhabitants and their consciousness about the intermodal transport policy. We constructed a traffic choice model based on an intermodal transport policy that connects highway buses and city railroads (Park and Bus Rail Ride) to the present transport system and estimated the shift in transport activities with a new traffic mode in this area. In addition, we also conducted a resident questionnaire on issues such as parking, railroads, and buses to clarify the incentives used in the selection of mode of transportation. The results of this evaluation confirm the importance of intermodal frames and help to clarify the impact of the traffic behavior of people.JEL Classification: R41, R48, L91, C91

Origin–Destination Matrix Generation from Boarding–Alighting and Household Survey Data

Approaches to demand estimation for public transport systems often use either primarily boarding–alighting data counts or travel survey data, based on a sampling of households. However, in the absence of a mechanism to capture transfer trips, boarding–alighting data have difficulty providing accurate demand estimation for large, complex transit systems. Travel survey data also present challenges in the estimation of total demand, when the demand is extrapolated from a limited sample of the population. The errors in this extrapolation often limit the estimation of demand to a coarse-grained zone-to-zone travel, as opposed to a fine-grained bus–rail stop to bus–rail stop. This paper presents the hybrid demand estimation (HDE) algorithm that synthesizes both types of data to produce an accurate, fine-grained demand estimation. Initially, HDE uses boarding–alighting data and a fluid flow model to estimate direct trips that match passenger boarding and alighting counts. Then, in an iterative process, three heuristics are used to introduce transfer trips and alter the set of no-transfer trips to create a better match to the household survey data. Both boarding–alighting and household travel survey data were collected for the Greater Mumbai, India, metropolitan area. The HDE algorithm was evaluated for Mumbai's multimodal suburban rail and bus system. In this network, the HDE algorithm produced significantly better matches to both types of data than other heuristic approaches. The demand estimation produced by HDE deviated from boarding–alighting and survey data by less than 1% across a range of metrics.

Service Orientation, Bus–Rail Service Integration, and Transit Performance

Service orientation is one of the most important decisions that a transit manager makes. A manager can concentrate service on the central business district (CBD) or disperse service to connect multiple destinations. Conventional wisdom suggests that transit managers should focus on serving the CBD, because that—such wisdom suggests—is where riders wish to travel. In some places, the service orientation decision is complicated by the need to define the specific role to be played by rail service. Some managers may view rail transit as part of an integrated network structure. Other managers may view it simply as the functional equivalent of a high-capacity bus route. This research examines the relationship between service orientation, bus–rail service integration, and transit performance in U.S. metropolitan areas with between 1 million and 5 million people. Metropolitan areas that have integrated their rail transit into a decentralized network structure are found to enjoy higher riding habit, higher service productivity, and better cost-effectiveness than metropolitan areas with other network structures or modal combinations. These findings suggest the need for transit managers to carefully consider the relationship between service orientation and bus–rail integration to better serve their customers and improve overall transit performance.