Rail Transport Research Articles

Inter-regional rail travel and housing markets connectedness between London and other regions

Taking London as a location with which to measure the ripple effect in the UK housing market, this study aims to explain and verify the high degree of correlation between inter-regional transportation and the regional correlation of the housing market. Based on the literature on the relationship between short-term mobility and long-term migration, this paper illustrates that the extent to which people use trains for travel across regions will be related to the ripple effect in the regional housing markets. Frequent railway transport behavior, whether for commuting or traveling, might increase people's desire to relocate between regions, and thus leading to information transmission effects across regional housing prices and transaction volume. First, we estimate a dynamic indicator for the ripple effect. Then, the empirical tests use panel data, including the ripple indicator and passenger number data across time (1996–2022) and regions (nine regions). It is found that if London house prices drive other regional house prices to rise, inter-regional transportation demand will increase, and in turn, the increase of house prices in other housing markets will again drive up London house prices. The number of passengers will affect the information transmitted by the housing market transaction volume in other regions to the London housing market. This implies that higher inter-regional transport needs may lead to migration between London and other property markets, causing their transaction volumes to change in the same direction. The results of this paper verify that travel behavior between regions is a crucial factor in the leading/lagging behavior of regional housing market performance, implying a relationship between short-term travel and long-term migration. The results also indicate that incorporating variables of housing market correlations may help in the prediction of passenger numbers or transportation demand.

Adequacy of measures to threats as one of the fundamental ­principles of safety riskology

Purpose. To justify the need to apply the “principle of adequacy of probabilities” as a measure to improve the risk management methodology, to prevent (counteract) existing and emerging risks (threats) to the security of complex systems. Methodology. The well-known methodological principle called “Ockam’s Razor” was used. In the course of the research, a complex method was used, which included formal and logical analysis of normative and scientific and technical literature, analysis of statistical data, synthesis, abstraction, experiment, observation, generalization of data, description. Findings. In the course of the research, one of the threats (danger, risk) was identified, which simultaneously affects the existence of such a system due to traffic safety of rolling stock of rail transport enterprises, and the full implementation of the system’s capabilities due to axle loads, mass and speed movement of rolling stock, level of operating costs, passenger flow, regularity of transportation, etc. Experimental application of the lubricant “Mariol NT” in SPP 12-5, GS-3 lubrication systems showed a decrease in wear intensity by 240 %. Due to the use of a new lubricating material applied to the friction surface of wheel rims as part of the paint coating, the wear intensity of flanges of twin-wheel rims is reduced by 2.2 times, and that of locomotives by 2.4 times. Originality. It was determined that the “principle of adequacy of probabilities” as a measure of improvement of the risk management methodology, prevention (counteraction) of existing and prospective risks (threats, dangers) during the safety assessment of complex systems is currently not applied, but its consideration helps to prevent (countermeasures) to existing and emerging risks (threats) to the safety of complex systems. Practical value. The use of the “principle of adequacy of probabilities” allows for the theoretical and experimental determination of the numerical value of the ratio between the probability of an event occurring, caused by the action of an identified threat that negatively affects the state (level) of safety and operability of system elements at all stages of its existence, and the probability of a positively compensatory effect of the developed countermeasure to the identified threat.

Service Quality and its Impact on Usage Intention in Malaysian Rail Transportation

Service Quality and its Impact on Usage Intention in Malaysian Rail Transportation

Reliability of Road and Rail Transportation in the Distribution of Goods Commodities on the Makassar-Parepare Route

Reliability of Road and Rail Transportation in the Distribution of Goods Commodities on the Makassar-Parepare Route

Analisis Tingkat Risiko Penyebab Rel Patah pada Jalur Kereta Api Wilayah Divre IV Tanjung Karang

The increase in the volume of passengers and goods in rail transportation in Indonesia has an impact on the condition of railway infrastructure, especially railway infrastructure. The main focus of this condition is the risk of rail damage, especially broken rails. So a holistic assessment approach is needed to identify the root causes and formulate appropriate treatment and improvement strategies. The aim of the research is to identify the factors causing the rail to break and analyze the causes. This research uses a risk level value analysis method by multiplying the results of probability and impact, thus producing a risk value. Risk variables such as extreme rain events, expansion in the alignment area, and mud pumping are high level risks. This is followed by medium, low and very low risks, according to the classification of each risk variable analyzed. Therefore, the priority scale for handling broken rail repairs is grouped based on the risk level value starting from the highest risk to the lowest risk. The conclusion is that risk variables such as extreme rain produce a risk value of IDR 296,881,200 with a probability value of 0.99% and an impact of IDR 29,988,000,000, expansion in the straight area produces a risk value of IDR 376,992,000 with a probability value of 1.10% and impact IDR 34,272,000,000, and mud pumping produces a risk value of IDR 394,128,000 with a probability value of 1.15% and impact IDR 34,272,000,000, these three risk variables are classified as high risk.

A comparative analysis of cross-sectional study and natural experiment in rail transit-travel behavior research: A case study in Wuhan, China

There has been a global increase in investment in rail transit, driven by its potential to enhance transportation efficiency, reduce air pollution, and stimulate economic growth. Both cross-sectional studies and natural experiments have contributed to the growing body of evidence supporting these claims. While natural experiments are commonly preferred for evaluating the impact of rail transit, cross-sectional studies remain popular due to their ease of data collection. However, there is a scarcity of studies that compare these two approaches using the same dataset to assess the robustness of cross-sectional studies. Using a two-wave panel dataset from Wuhan, China, this study used both cross-sectional and natural experimental analyses to examine the relationship between urban rail transit and travel behavior. The study attempted to enhance the credibility of the cross-sectional analysis by controlling for confounding variables and by combining it with the propensity score matching (PSM) method, respectively. The results revealed that the cross-sectional analyses could produce similar results, when setting a more stringent significance level. The findings suggested that well-designed cross-sectional studies can be reliable and represent a cost-effective alternative to resource-intensive natural experiments.

The role of physical and social environments on the loyalty toward urban rail services: A consideration of stations and onboard

Although urban train services have been introduced in various developing countries, ridership for this mode of public transport (PT) remains low. In response, urban planning authorities are seeking ways to boost passenger loyalty to these services. However, the existing literature has scarcely examined the role of physical and social environments in fostering passenger loyalty. Additionally, how loyalty is developed throughout the passenger experience - both at stations and onboard - remains unclear. Addressing this gap, the current study develops a model based on the 'service quality-satisfaction-behavioural intentions' paradigm and the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model to examine how the physical and social environments, both at rail stations and onboard trains, impact passenger loyalty in the context of urban train services. Additionally, this study validates the multi-dimensionality of physical environments and social environments in this context. Data collected from urban rail passengers in Hanoi, Vietnam is analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that the physical and social environments onboard trains significantly influence loyalty towards the urban train services, while the environments at stations do not have the same impact. Furthermore, both satisfaction at stations and onboard trains significantly affect the loyalty, though the influence of satisfaction with the onboard experience is much stronger than that of satisfaction with the stations. Practically, the findings assist PT authorities in evaluating existing systems and devising future PT development strategies. Also, the study informs PT providers of ways to improve passenger satisfaction and loyalty.

A high-precision visual detection method for rail profile based on Scheimpflug condition

Rail profile is an important indicator of rail service status, which should be always kept in good condition. How to efficiently collect rail profiles with high precision is a critical issue for their condition-based maintenance. This paper focuses on the method for accurate visual detection of rail full profile (RFP), including optical modeling, visual calibration, and error compensation. The proposed optical unit, featuring double line structured-light sensors, introduces an innovative method under the Scheimpflug condition to avoid the limitation of depth of field in RFP measurement. Subsequently, double visual sensors are calibrated together using the common reference target to extract the internal and external parameters respectively. The dynamic errors resulting from the impact of vehicle vibrations are ultimately investigated to rectify the distorted profiles to the normal. Both laboratory and field tests are performed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed system in terms of precision and efficiency.

A Security Framework for Railway Platform Development

The different modes of transport are air, water, and land transport, in which land transport includes rail transport, road transport and off-road transport. Most commonly using transport system are Roadways, Railways and Airways. In these frequently we use the railways, because it is cheaper and it is more convenient than other transport systems. The third largest railway network in the world is Indian railway network. But the accident’s occurs in the railways is higher. Mostly the accidents in the railway station occur between the railway platform and to the train, because of the platform gap. The platform gap is the gap exists between the train and to the platform. To avoid these accidents that the Indian government come with an indicative to increase the height of the platform. But it is not easy job to increase the height. At the time of working we cannot access the platforms. By applying my project it is easy to avoid the accidents as well as we can use the platform too. A human fall down in the gap exist between the platform and to the train can be totally avoided by introducing Mechanical platform edge extensions known as platform gap fillers which is used to bridge the gap between platform and to the train. This is more useful in the case of safeguard the human life and also it is cheaper than the cost which is involved for increase the height of the platform. In this regard the safety barrier setup present at the bottom of the platform will be automatically uplifted with the help of sensor, so the platform gap is closed with the safety barrier. And then it will retract again into the bottom at the platform after leaving the station. By this project the platform gap accidents can be avoided.

Integrated and sustainable performance evaluation of urban rail transit systems using fuzzy sustainability index

The complexity of prominent dimensions in urban rail transportation sector arises from the involvement of several stakeholders and the various interacting variables for evaluating transportation performance. This study uses a fuzzy logic-based method to present an index-based framework for sustainable performance assessment. The proposed framework presents 4 main indicators which include environmental, economic, financial and social sustainability, 14 sub-indicators, 4 main indicators for transportation system effectiveness with 13 sub-indicators and 1 main indicator for multi modal integration with 6 sub-indicators. The performance ratings and importance weights of the transport sustainability attributes are evaluated using a fuzzy logic approach. A numerical illustration is provided to demonstrate the applicability of the approach. The results show that system capacity (passenger capacity of a route), comfort and customer service (passenger environment and ride quality, maintenance cycle) and multimodal integration (park and ride facilities) were found to be weaker attributes. The proposed methodology facilitates the systematic understanding of the prominent attributes for achieving integrated and sustainable transport performance by using the ‘Fuzzy Transport Sustainability Index’.

Railways Health Monitoring Employing KSK Approach: A Novel AIIoT based Decision-Making Approach for Railways

Central to this AIIoT approach is the implementation of machine learning algorithms that can process vast amounts of data generated from the sensors. These algorithms can identify patterns and anomalies that might indicate wear and tear or incipient failures in critical systems. For example, vibration sensors on trains can detect irregularities in wheel dynamics, while track-side monitoring systems can check for track integrity. By integrating these insights into a centralized health monitoring platform, railway operators are not only able to understand the current health status of their assets but also make informed decisions about maintenance schedules and resource allocation. Moreover, the innovative use of edge computing in this AIIoT framework allows for localized data processing, reducing latency and enabling immediate responses to critical situations. This is crucial in a railway environment where timely interventions can prevent accidents and improve service reliability. Additionally, the combination of AIIoT with cloud computing creates opportunities for advanced data analytics and machine learning models that can continuously improve their accuracy over time as more data becomes available. In essence, this novel AIIoT approach not only enhances operational efficiency but also aligns with broader initiatives aimed at making rail transport more sustainable by reducing unnecessary maintenance trips and optimizing resource utilization. The system informs the decision based on Track condition, speed of train, train condition to the authority.

Energy Demand Estimation in Turkey According to Road and Rail Transportation: Walrus Optimizer and White Shark Optimizer Algorithm-Based Model Development and Application

Transport energy demand (TED) forecasting is a crucial issue for countries like Turkey that are dependent on external resources. The accuracy and effectiveness of these forecasts are extremely important, especially for the strategies and plans to be developed. With this in mind, different forms of forecasting models were developed in the present study using the Walrus Optimizer (WO) and White Shark Optimizer (WSO) algorithms to estimate Turkey’s energy consumption related to road and railway transportation modes. Additionally, another objective of this study was to examine the impacts of different transport modes on energy demand. To investigate the effect of demand distribution among transport modes on energy consumption, model parameters such as passenger-kilometers (P-km), freight-kilometers (F-km), carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), gross domestic product (GDP), and population (POP) were utilized in the development of the models. It was found that the WO algorithm outperformed the WSO algorithm and was the most suitable method for energy demand forecasting. All the developed models demonstrated a better performance level than those reported in previous studies, with the best performance achieved by the semi-quadratic model developed with the WO, showing a 0.95% MAPE value. Projections for energy demand up to the year 2035 were established based on two different scenarios: the current demand distribution among transport modes, and a demand shift from road to rail transportation. It is anticipated that the proposed energy demand models will serve as an important guide for effective planning and strategy development. Moreover, the findings suggest that a balanced distribution among transport modes will have a positive impact on transport energy and will result in lower energy requirements.

Determining the relevance of noise barriers along railway lines based on a multi-criteria analysis

Rail transport is one of the friendliest in environmental terms, but the noise generated by this mode of transport remains a weak point. To improve local residents' living conditions against this noise, two locations for protection devices are possible : close to the source, to be preferred in accordance with French legislation, within the limit of economical acceptability (not defined) or by façade insulation otherwise. A method has been developed to assess the relevance of noise barriers or merlons based on a cost-benefit analysis. A multi-criteria analysis is required, based on acoustic benefits provided by protection near to the source, building density, number of people protected, technical feasibility, costs directly linked to the construction conditions and landscape integration possibilities. The article details the method used during the preliminary study phase to determine the possible conditions for implementation, the associated costs and the impact of protection, and presents the analysis grids used to validate the choice of protection type, close to the source or on the facade.

Design of an FPGA-based short-circuit fault diagnosis algorithm for DC current-limiting fuses

Abstract In recent years, DC current-limiting fuses have played a crucial role in the comprehensive power systems of ships, rail transport, and new energy sectors, ensuring the safe and reliable operation of DC power systems. However, with the increase in the capacity of DC power systems, short-circuit faults can lead to a rise in short-circuit current at rates of up to 40 A/μs, with peak short-circuit currents reaching up to 105KA. This poses higher demands on the accuracy and speed of fuse diagnostics to interrupt short-circuit currents. To address this issue, this paper introduces a fault diagnostic algorithm based on FPGA that can calculate the rise rate of short-circuit currents in real-time: employing FPGA with its high integration, abundant logic resources, and parallel data processing capabilities as the core of the measurement and control system to enhance the speed of short-circuit fault diagnosis from a hardware perspective; replacing the common large current trip protection and DDL protection algorithms with the Newton interpolation algorithm. This improvement calculates the rise rate of each current data point instead of the average rise rate over a period, thus enhancing the speed and accuracy of short-circuit fault diagnosis from a software perspective. The paper also discusses the design of the system’s hardware and software and the construction of the experimental platform. Simulation and experimental results show that the fault diagnosis time of the algorithm has been reduced from 98μs to 36μs, with the numerical error in the short-circuit current rise rate within 2%, and a significant reduction in the peak value of short-circuit current, meeting performance requirements and effectively ensuring the safe and reliable operation of DC power systems.

Coupled Thermo-Electric-Elastic Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvester With Axial Movement: Modeling, Verification, and Analysis

Abstract In the field of rail transport and aerospace field, vibration energy harvesting is inevitably subjected to coupled excitations, including train wheel–track interaction induced friction heat and forced vibration, periodic thermal radiation, and vibration excitation. This paper investigates a coupled thermo-electric-elastic piezoelectric vibration energy harvester with axial movement under external heat flux and mechanical force load. The coupled forced vibration equation, coupled electric equation, and coupled thermoelastic heat conduction equation are derived and solved by Green's function theory. To analyze the effect of excitations on the response characteristics, the decoupled method is utilized to solve the coupled multi-field equations and obtain the displacement, electric, and temperature distribution closed-form solutions. The displacement coupling effect induced temperature distribution and the thermo-electric coupling effect triggered displacement are respectively decoupled and analyzed. The obtained closed-form temperature distribution and displacement solutions are verified by the finite element method. To further verify the obtained solutions, a numerical method is conducted by decoupling the coupled multi-field equations and comparing them with prior solutions. Additionally, the different height-to-length ratios, axially moving speeds, and external force load are analyzed in detail. The results indicate that the displacement, temperature distribution, and output voltage vary with external conditions due to the coupled multi-field effect. Overall, this work investigates the thermo-electric-elastic coupling effect on the axially moving piezoelectric energy harvesting, which is beneficial to promote theoretical investigations of the coupled multi-field energy harvesting system and accelerate the practical applications in the aerospace field.

Innovative technologies of rail transport used by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland

Innovation in rail transport has a wide range of applications, which includes customer contact, train moni-toring with modern internet-connected sensors and data analysis, as well as the use of artificial intelli-gence for route optimization, customer service management and vehicle maintenance. The presented is-sues constitute a research niche in the field of the use of innovations in military rail transport, which en-courages research in this area. The article describes innovative technologies of rail transport used by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland. The subject of the research included in the article are the latest innovations in the field of rail transport technology and the analysis of their benefits and potential use by the Polish Armed Forces. These include: intelligent control systems, infrastructure maintenance, innova-tive designs of trains and wagons. The aim of the article is to identify the advantages of innovative tech-nologies and their potential application in the Polish Armed Forces. In order to achieve the objectives of the article outlined in this way, it is necessary to answer the following research questions: What innovative technologies of rail transport are used by the Polish Armed Forces? What are the prospects for the devel-opment of innovative rail transport technologies for defence purposes in Poland? What innovative solu-tions concerning the railway infrastructure in Poland could improve the safety of movements of troops by rail? The research hypothesis was adopted in the article: Innovative solutions in rail transport used by the Polish Armed Forces will effectively support the implementation of transports in the movement and transport subsystem (M&T). In order to verify the hypothesis, the following research methods were used: theoretical methods (analysis, synthesis, abstraction, inference, generalization) and the method of expert interview with representatives of the movement and transport subsystem. The presented approach allowed to analyse the problem from different perspectives, which makes it possible to conduct detailed research on this important and current issue.

Selected applications of satellite technologies in rail transport

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are increasingly being used in various modes of transport, including rail transport. When this technology is applied to railway traffic control, it is essential to ensure a high level of safety and reliability. The approval of a railway traffic control system requires a safety analysis, which includes hazard analysis and risk analysis. This also includes GNSS-based solutions in terms of their compliance with safety integrity requirements, i.e. THR (Tolerable Hazard Rate) and SIL (Safety Integrity Level) parameters, as defined in normative documents. In the case of railway traffic control systems, the level of dependability of the determined train position, referred to as position integrity, is very important in ensuring safety. Position integrity is affected by many factors, including: errors due to SIS (Signal-In-Space) propagation, multipath errors, signal interference or GNSS receiver errors. In order to improve position integrity, among other things, new data processing methods can be used to improve the accuracy and reliability of measurements. The paper presents the concept of satellite signal processing for precise determination of the position of objects in selected railway systems. The Kalman filter based model of satellite signal filtration and its selected applications, which were tested in the real condition, was presented. The application of Kalman filtration indicated in the paper is a universal method that improves the estimated measurement parameters and can be used in many applications of satellite systems for railway tasks. The applicability of satellite systems to automatic train operation, defect positioning in automatic and manual flaw detection tests, determining track spatial orientation and train integrity control have been considered. The conducted tests confirmed the correctness of the adopted concept and the model of satellite signals filtration developed for this purpose. According to the authors, the described methods can also be used in many other tasks related to rail transport.

Art healing practice program for rail worker mental health

At present, China's rail transportation industry is in a rapid development stage, and the work pressure of rail transportation workers is increasing, and mental health problems are becoming more and more prominent. This study adopts the questionnaire research method to investigate the main factors affecting the mental health of the employees of five rail transit enterprises in Guangdong Province, China and their attitudes towards art healing, and constructs a factor model to conduct a comprehensive analysis by using the SPSS software, which reveals that the work intensity, work pressure and life pressure are the main factors affecting the mental health of the rail transit employees, and that most of the rail transit employees are willing to accept the art healing and believe that art healing is a positive and effective way to solve the mental health problems. Most of the rail transit workers are willing to accept art healing and believe that art healing is a positive and effective way to solve mental health problems. When designing art healing programs, it is necessary to give full consideration to the high work intensity of rail transit workers, and in the case of fewer art healing programs in the existing rail transit industry, it is necessary to actively explore leisure and relaxing art healing programs for the workers in the rail transit industry in order to alleviate and heal the psychological problems of rail transit workers, and to assist in the healthy development of the rail transit industry. The healthy development of rail transportation industry.

Female landscapes

The aim of this article is to reflect on the presence of colonized women in photographs and other representations, such as drawings, posters, postcards, exhibition catalogues, newspapers and magazines, which were disseminated in the context of the Portuguese colonial expositions, and in exhibition spaces conceived by the Portuguese with a colonial component. Generally speaking, the exhibitions sought to put forward the progress, taking into account land, rail and sea transport, but also roads, communications, trade, industry, arts, architecture, culture, and the most recent advances in science and medicine. The exhibitions were also places where the logic of colonial models was staged, showing a clear relationship between colonial domination and gender representation. The research includes several materials produced throughout the 1930s (a fertile period regarding the Portuguese participation in this kind of international events) intended to publicize these exhibitions or serve as a complement to them. These materials may include art works or merely propagandistic works, or works that combine both components. The analysis will include materials associated with several exhibitions between 1931 and 1940, such as the International Colonial Exhibition of Paris (1931), the Lisbon Industrial Exhibition (1932), the Portuguese Colonial Exhibition in Porto (1934), the Exhibition of the Portuguese World in Lisbon (1940), and the Portugal of the Little Ones (Portugal dos Pequenitos) in Coimbra (1940). The contexts in which women appear and the way they are represented — as active beings (performing tasks), as contemplative beings (as in natural landscapes) or as objects of sexual desire, revealing the context of power (legislative, administrative, male and colonial) in which the images and the representations were produced — will be analyzed.

Does the type of transportation mode matter in the effect of freight transportation on the environmental pollution of OECD countries?

This study aims forward to explain the effect of freight transportation on environmental pollution and to investigate the role played by the usage rates of road and railway transportation modes in this relationship. As an auxiliary problem of the research, it was tried to determine whether there is a threshold value for these types of transportation and what consequences will arise in terms of environmental pollution below and above this threshold. For this purpose, the data of OECD countries for the period 2000-2018 were analyzed with the PSTR method. Analysis results showed a non-linear relationship between freight transportation and environmental pollution and that the road/rail transportation ratio plays an important role in this relationship. The determined threshold value is 68.18% for road freight transport and 29.55% for rail freight transport. Below the determined threshold values, as the amount of cargo transported increases, the rate of carbon emission increase gradually increases in both types of transport. Above the threshold values, road transport increases the rate of increase even more, while rail transport decreases this rate of increase. Within the scope of these results, countries should develop policies to increase the use of railways in freight transport while reducing the use of roads.