Rail Transport Infrastructure Research Articles

Reducing Emissions Caused by Student Air Travel to and from Dunedin

Students travelling in between their city of study and their hometowns is one of the largest emissions generators for both the University of Otago, and the city of Dunedin as a whole (Rutherford & Cliff, 2023). To address this, this report will cover the question ‘How can an ‘event specific’ train to and from Dunedin be utilised to reduce the emissions created by student’s travel behaviour and what other benefits could this deliver for students and Dunedin?’ This inquiry aims to analyse solutions to the issue of emissions resulting from student travel, with a particular focus on travel between Dunedin and Christchurch for events and University breaks. Current underutilisation of existing rail and public transport infrastructure contributes to high rates of flying and driving. The effective use of rail is a key tool to reducing transport emissions, in its current state, the reinstatement of passenger rail is complex and facing barriers, the introduction of irregular passenger rail would aim to be a more feasible solution. This report endeavours to bridge the gap in formal research, offering insights into the viability of this method and provide further understanding to allow for more work to be done on the introduction of this service and additional supporting initiatives. This report may also provide insights for other possible institutions interested in implementing a similar service to further explore the idea. 
 Supervised by: Craig Cliff, Ray O’Brien
 Scholarship Project Funded by: Dunedin City Council

Transport macro accessibility at the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP)

This study aims to analyze the macro accessibility of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP) in 2017. Based on data from the Metro Origin and Destination Survey (2017), a descriptive analysis was carried out and a Generalized Linear Model (GLM) was developed. The sample received treatment for the selection of trips departing from the residence and with territorial disaggregation levels that allow verifying the effect of centrality in the regional analysis of RMSP. The results show that the road transport infrastructure has vast territorial coverage, while rail transport infrastructure is concentrated in the center of RMSP. It was found that the closer to the center, the greater the use of individual transport and, the further away, the greater the use of public transport. Statistical modeling showed that Euclidean distance (4.3 min/km), the number of modes used in travel (8.1 min/mode), and the first mode chosen are statistically significant and relevant predictors (with bus having the longest average duration, followed by rail transport). Individual modes obtained the greatest advantage in macro accessibility since less time is used for vehicle access and less time for displacement after transport use (micro accessibility). Also, they do not depend on vehicle transfers and are faster during travel. It is concluded that investment in rail transport will allow better environmental conditions for captive users of public transport, with a decrease in micro accessibility time and a decrease in travel duration, with potential competition with individual modes.

ORGANIZATIONAL AND METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE POST-WAR RESTORATION OF UKRAINE’S TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS INFRASTRUCTURE

The article presents a comparative analysis of the transport infrastructure characteristics in Ukraine and neighbouring countries. It outlines the fundamental shortcomings and challenges in the development of domestic transport infrastructure before the war, highlighting their impact on the socioeconomic situation in Ukraine. The article further analyzes preliminary estimates regarding the damage inflicted on the transport infrastructure due to hostilities. In light of the these findings, the conclusion is drawn that the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine’s transport infrastructure should adhere to key principles such as multimodality, flexibility, connectivity, sustainability, technology, inclusiveness, productivity, and value creation. The author recommends priority measures for restoring the road, rail, air, and water transport infrastructure, considering both current requirements and future trends. The article substantiates the possibility and necessity of involving international organizations and private businesses in the process of post-war reconstruction of Ukraine’s transport infrastructure.

Rail Transport Infrastructure as a Factor Accessibility of Rail Transport on the Example of Poland

Rail Transport Infrastructure as a Factor Accessibility of Rail Transport on the Example of Poland

Linear infrastructure assets as a territorial system for flood disturbances control

Flooding is a cyclical environmental disturbance with implications on ecosystems structure and physical environment (White and Pickett, 1985). Risk management is an increasingly pressing issue within spatial planning that is perhaps the most effective approach to preventing the increase in flood risk through active controls on territorial transformations (Sayers et al., 2013; Meng et al., 2020). At the same time, the development of linear infrastructures is essential to ensure adequate accessibility to services, goods and facilities (Srinivasu and Rao, 2013). Since infrastructure works are territorial-scale interventions with a considerable potential on shaping spatial forms (Strang, 1996) and on directing environmental processes, including alterations on surface hydrology (Raiter et al., 2018) the integrated exploitation of these two implications would allow a widespread territorial intervention able to implement resilience against flood. As linear infrastructures developments are complex works in complex environments (Di Giulio, Emanueli, Lobosco, 2018) there is considerable uncertainty about timing and economic feasibility that arise from the management of public/private interests, the multiplicity of issues involved and the management of huge financial budgets. The aim of this contribution is to discern the limitations and potentials of a multidisciplinary strategy by following a 'research-by-design' approach for the development of a rail transport infrastructure in the Lezhë district in Albania with a specific focus on the integration of flood risk reduction design within infrastructure track layout planning. Through a radical rethinking of territories, this work increases territorial resilience and propose new hybrid ecosystems, making them simultaneously devoted both to functionalist engineering and ecological renovation.

Advanced rail transportation infrastructure as the basis of improved urban mobility: research into Sydney as a smart city

ABSTRACT This research evaluates the advanced rail transportation infrastructure as the foundation of sustainable urban mobility. Sydney's rail transportation was evaluated as a smart city. To undertake this evaluation, twelve of Sydney’s inner municipalities were selected within Sydney's urban area – a 35 km radial distance from the CBD. To further examine Sydney's rail transportation evaluation, CITYKeys, being the smart city framework, was utilised. CITYKeys was carefully evaluated and two of its domains, transportation indicators and improved urban mobility & public transport were thus adopted. This research has two key findings. Firstly, Sydney, as a possible smart city, possesses three primary smart transport procedures: Green practice, Transformation and Model Integration. Subsequently, Sydney's new advanced rail transportation infrastructure aligns with CITYKeys public transport indicators. Secondly, Sydney Metro not only provided a significant technological advantage for the city's suburbs but also enhanced its urban mobility. This study contributes to the field of sustainable urban mobility by advocating the alignment between advanced and innovative rail transportation infrastructure and smart cities. Such findings will support transportation scholars in acquiring a better understanding of the need for advanced rail transportation infrastructure for smart cities.

Strategies Encouraging Mode Shifting on Rail-Based Transportation: A Case Study in Jakarta

Public rail transport infrastructure has been developed to address urban issues in some major cities worldwide, including Jakarta, Indonesia. Despite its development, the rail transit ridership is not optimal yet, since traffic flows on the roads are still heavy and cause congestion. Therefore, the modal shift on rail transit in should be increased. The objective of this study is twofold; determining factors affecting the mode split on rail transit and exploring strategies to improve the modal shifting to rail-based transportation by taking into account the development of properties near the transit stations of Greater Jakarta’s commuter line, including hotel, retail, office, and residential. Both quantitative and qualitative methods through questionnaire survey and benchmarking study were used to obtain these objectives. The survey results show that punctuality is the factor that affects the modal shifting to rail the most, followed by train comfort and shorter waiting time. Benchmarking studies were conducted to develop strategies for improving the train performance in terms of those factors, which include utilizing planning and management tool for train scheduling and rail infrastructure control, improving the air conditioning system on board trains, and increasing the information availability by installing

IOT BASED RAILWAY ACCIDENT PREVENTION AND MONITORING SYSTEM

The railways are the most common and flexible mode of transportation in the majority of the world's urban areas. The railway is a popular, inexpensive, and pleasurable mode of transportation. It is accessible to people from all walks of life. The rail transportation infrastructure is essential for travel in the modern day; nonetheless, numerous accidents occur on railway lines as a result of reckless driving, particularly during morning and evening rush hours, and pedestrians crossing while using mobile phones. To prevent railway accidents, a better technique must be invented, thus we created this project to tell pedestrians when a train is coming within a specific distance, so ensuring their safety and providing the security department with an alarm signal. The project entitled "IOT based Railway Accident Prevention and Monitoring System" is based on the Internet of Things and a live sensor database, which offers a method for preventing railway accidents. Its objective is to keep people safe by employing sirens to inform them of potential accidents at railroad grade crossings, to monitor any potentially hazardous conduct that might cause an accident at a railway grade crossing, and to provide the department and a person with an alert signal.

Simulation and Criticality Assessment of Urban Rail and Interdependent Infrastructure Networks

The role of urban infrastructure is becoming increasingly interdependent, resulting in new sources of vulnerability. Infrastructural asset failure can propagate between rail transportation and other infrastructure networks. There remains a lack of academic research focusing on the dynamic simulation of city-wide infrastructure using real-life data to quantify and cross-compare the criticality of assets. This paper aims to bridge this gap by developing a modeling methodology for interdependent urban infrastructure using complex network theory, which serves as a basis for investigating asset criticality and failure propagation. This modeling framework comprises the distribution of resource supply and demand, the topological representation and skeletonization of the infrastructure network, as well as modeling the propagation of asset failures. The framework is thereafter applied to a case study of the exposure of Greater London’s rail transportation network to failures from electricity infrastructure, selected as a representative example of interdependent infrastructures within a large-scale urban metropolitan area. Two time-based criticality metrics are also proposed to measure the topological extent of infrastructural failures and economic impacts resulting from the failure propagation of given initial failure scenarios. The results of the case study demonstrate that these proposed criticality metrics are effective in capturing the dynamics of failure propagation, and that topological metrics in criticality assessment do not always reflect the resulting economic damages of infrastructural failures.

Measuring the impact of heavy rail transport infrastructure on house prices in Melbourne, Australia: a case study of Mernda rail extension project

PurposeThe research examines the impact of heavy rail transport infrastructure on residential property prices in Melbourne at different stages of project development using the Mernda Rail Extension Project as a case study.Design/methodology/approachA difference-in-difference approach is used to quantitatively measure the magnitude of change in the house price at different stages of rail transport infrastructure project development.FindingsWhen controlling for a range of structural, neighbourhood, and locational attributes, the authors find that properties within 800 m from the proposed train station are 8.7% higher in value than those outside 800 m (but within 1,600 m). However, during the project's construction, the project's benefits in the form of house price appreciation are not fully realised. “Unrealised benefit” is attributed to the negative externalities of construction works and apprehensions associated with the project's shelving and time delays.Research limitations/implicationsDepending on the availability of data on residential property transactions in the future, a spatial analysis of rail infrastructure's radius of catchment effect is needed.Practical implicationsFindings from this research are beneficial for policymakers concerned with transport and land use planning, property valuation for taxation and mortgage purposes.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the knowledge of the impact of the rail project on house prices in Melbourne. While there are earlier studies on the topic, there is limited understanding of this prime Australian city attractive to domestic and foreign investors.

Impacts of heavy duty truck emissions on the vertical distributions of soil polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at a big haulage vehicle park

Nigeria relies heavily on heavy duty haulage vehicles to convey commodities from one end of the nation to the other, owing to the decades-long collapse of the rail transportation infrastructure. This is resulting in settings with very high concentrations of the trucks on the country's key roads. Diesel engine exhausts have long been recognized to be detrimental to human health. The concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the top and bottom soil samples from an extensive haulage vehicle stop located at Ogere, a roadside town along the ever busy Lagos-Ibadan highway were investigated. Soil samples taken at depths of 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm were subjected gas-chromatographic/mass spectrometer analysis. The Ʃ priority PAHs in the top and bottom soils at four sampling locations ranged between 16.4 and 32.0 mg/kg and 18.6–26.6 mg/kg respectively. The corresponding Ʃ carcinogenic PAHs for top and bottom soils ranged between 9.2 and 17.4 mg/kg and 8.7–12.0 mg/kg respectively. The concentrations of PAHs obtained in this study clearly exceeded the permissible limits set for soil PAHs in most developed nations of the world. The diagnostic ratio attributed the observed PAHs to diesel emissions. The study concluded that the emissions from the trucks at the haulage vehicle stop have tremendous impact on the soil PAH concentrations.

Implementation of Light Rapid Transit Transport Infrastructure Development Policy on the Development of Mass Transport in Palembang

The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze the implementation of policies for the development of Light Rapid Transit (LRT) transportation infrastructure in Palembang City and analyze the factors that hinder the development of Light Rapid Transit (LRT) as mass transportation in Palembang City. The research method uses the constructivism paradigm through qualitative research approaches and types with data collection techniques through observation, interviews, and documentation. The main finding in this study is the implementation of light rail transportation infrastructure development policies towards the development of mass transportation in the city of Palembang within the scope of public service standards, there are 6 (six) scopes of public service standards that must be set at least covering the fulfillment of service procedures, completion time, cost services, service products, facilities and infrastructure as well as the competence of service providers, from 6 (six) factors there are 3 (three) factors of which have been fulfilled. The novelty/originality in this study is supported by the latest observational data and studies that support the improvement of the implementation of LRT development policies in realizing the role of mass transportation in Palembang.

Assessing operational efficiency and the use of strategic capabilities in the rail transport industry in Namibia

This paper assessed the operational efficiency as well as the use of valuable resources and strategic capabilities within the rail transport industry/sector in Namibia, with specific reference to TransNamib Holdings Limited. This paper also focuses on the long-term direction of the rail transport sector as well as the causes of poor performance in the sector. The researchers analysed the questionnaires using descriptive statistics. The researchers explored and presented the individual variables to show specific values, highest and lowest values, trends, propositions and distribution values. The major findings from the data collected revealed that available resources and strategic capabilities are effectively utilized to optimize operational efficiency and that the top management does not pay much attention to development of strategic capabilities, customer value, new strategies, corporate governance, risk management, communication, benchmarking, knowledge management etc. It is also evident from that findings that the main causes of poor performance are the lack of strategic direction and long-term objectives, decline in volumes transported, lack of new technologies to create value, lack of funding or financial assistance from the shareholders, lack of performance agreements and measures as well as the aging and poor rail transport infrastructure. It is recommendable that TransNamib Holdings Limited develop strategies to turn around the current situation to transform the company into self-sustaining and profitable organization. The rail transport sector needs restructuring to streamline the business operations, with more focus on core business, secure funding, enhanced customer services, enhance value proposition for road-to-rail strategy, and enhancing stakeholder and shareholder relations.

Spatiotemporal Correlation Between Railway Transport Development and Land Use

Abstract Rail transport developments seem to offer tremendous benefits to land use and spatial development. As the development of rail lines induces land use growth and development. However, the veracity of this claim remains unclear in the context of Nigeria rail resuscitation efforts. This research intends to examine the correlation between rail development and land use in Nigeria. The association between state population characteristics, rail line development, population density, and square kilometres is examined. The methodology comprises both qualitative and quantitative designs. The correlation coefficients are used to establish a relationship between the parameters used in the research. The study reveals that spatial development and land uses are greatly influenced by rail transportation infrastructure provision in the state with a rail line. The analysis reveals a positive relationship between rail line development and population density. Therefore, more investment and better management are needed to facilitate nationwide rail transportation links.

A Method for Locating Tools in the Railway Moving Area Optimized Based on Received Signal Strength Indicator and a Fuzzy Neural Network

To solve the problem that maintenance tools are difficult to retrieve once being lost in maintenance of an electric section of the railway system, this study proposed a new method for estimating the object location optimized by a fuzzy neural network based on received signal strength indicator. Through a radio frequency identification reader and antennae, the received signal strength indicator values feed back by the dropped tools were collected. The environmental attenuation factor was fitted with field data. In the pre-processing stage, K-means algorithm optimized by the genetic algorithm, thus improving accuracy of data. The processed data were trained and tested by the fuzzy neural network, so that they could more accurately estimate the actual location of dropped tools. Data were collected on the railway lines of National Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Safety Guarantee Technology for Operation and Maintenance of Rail Transport Infrastructure. The collected data were used for subsequent processing and locating tools. The experimental results show that the proposed location method offers advantages in improving the location accuracy of dropped tools, which can improve the retrieval efficiency of tools in the field.

An adaptation of reference class forecasting for the assessment of large-scale urban planning vision, a SEM-ANN approach to the case of Hong Kong Lantau tomorrow

An outline strategic urban planning vision is a front-end government strategic plan with sparsely defined goals. Methods for an ex-ante appraisal of such sparsely defined vision are limited in the literature. By adapting a reference class forecasting (RCF) methodology, we propose an innovative two-stage combination of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) as an explainable ANN strategy to the appraisal of urban planning vision outline. The SEM-ANN operationalizes interaction between job, resident, and multi-modal accessibility in a public transport-dominated city. This strategy is applied to Lantau Tomorrow Vision in Hong Kong, as an extreme case study of a large, reclaimed island. The vision is broadly outlined as a New Town with a third CBD, residential and job targets, road and urban rail transport infrastructure routing, and an overall cost. The results show that the New Town scenario job/population goal should be plausibly attainable by increasing the transport infrastructure accessibility supply. Yet, the simulation indicates that the CBD3 employment goal based on CBD1 is out of range. Overall, our SEM-ANN method, as an adaptation of RCF, is of particular interest in front-end large-scale outline urban planning vision appraisal.

The Fundamental Approach of the Digital Twin Application in Railway Turnouts with Innovative Monitoring of Weather Conditions.

Improving railway safety depends heavily on the reliability of railway turnouts. The realization of effective, reliable and continuous observations for the spatial analysis and evaluation of the technical condition of railway turnouts is one of the factors affecting safety in railway traffic. The mode and scope of monitoring changes in geometric parameters of railway turnouts with associated indicators needs improvement. The application of digital twins to railway turnouts requires the inclusion of fundamental data indicating their condition along with innovative monitoring of weather conditions. This paper presents an innovative solution for monitoring the status of temperature and other atmospheric conditions. A UbiBot WS1 WIFI wireless temperature logger was used, with an external DS18B20 temperature sensor integrated into an S49 (49E1)-type rail as Tszyn WS1 WIFI. Measurements were made between January and May (winter/spring) at fixed time intervals and at the same measurement point. The aim of the research is to present elements of a fundamental approach of applying digital twins to railway turnouts requiring the consideration and demonstration of rail temperature conditions as a component in the data acquisition of railway turnout condition data and other constituent atmospheric conditions through an innovative solution. The research showed that the presented innovative solution is an effective support for the application of digital twins to railway turnouts and ongoing surveying and diagnostic work of other elements of rail transport infrastructure. The applicability of the TgCWRII second temperature difference indicator in the monitoring of railway turnouts was also confirmed.

The moderating effect of the public finances on transport infrastructures in Spain

In recent decades, Spain has witnessed a considerable increase in railway and road transport infrastructure. The driver of this change has been investment from the central government, which has generated speculation regarding the possible distribution of new infrastructure according to partisan political interests. This paper aims to determine whether this political influence impacts the efficiency of the transport infrastructure. This study proposes an empirical model to assess the impact of the central government's investment in roads and railways in the country's 15 mainland autonomous communities. The empirical results reveal that the political factor, as a proxy of public finances, moderates the accessibility process. The empirical model analyses the impact of new infrastructure on structuring and territorial cohesion during 1995–2007, considered the golden decade in Spain. Based on the econometric results, we conclude that state investment in rail, moderated by the consideration of political factors, improves the accessibility of rail transport infrastructure. Finally, this study presents relevant policy implications, suggesting a new line of regulations to increase local transport infrastructure projects' quality regarding “network efficiency.”

Assessment of the Vulnerability of Selected Key Elements of Rail Transport. Slovak Case Study

Increases in means of transport, developed transport networks, and modernization dependent on computer technology not only lead to huge security demands but also require preventive measures and vulnerability assessments of key elements of transport infrastructure. The analyses carried out have shown that, though the importance of transport continues to grow, there is currently no system for assessing the vulnerability of essential elements that are necessary to keep rail transport safe and operational. Taking into account a number of criteria, the team of authors identified key elements of the railway transport infrastructure—bridges, tunnels, the width of the track, and the marshaling yard. The criteria applied included the significance and uniqueness of the element, its technical parameters, the difficulty of repair after possible damage, potential risks related to the location, and the analysis of rail safety based on statistical data and safety reports. The aim of this contribution is to present a multi-level model for assessing the vulnerability of key elements of rail transport infrastructure. The authors proceeded from the hypothesis that the vulnerability of key elements can be assessed using quantitative and qualitative parameters of the individual elements. The added value of the model is the methodological basis for a comprehensive vulnerability assessment system that will allow competent authorities to objectify the process of vulnerability assessment of key elements and to set up appropriate safeguards to enhance rail safety. The proposed model was verified on the Zilina-Vrútky track section, which is considered one of the most important railway junctions in Slovakia.

Policy Implications on Transport Infrastructure–Trade Dynamics: Case of Turkey

Transportation has a mediating position in international trade formation and in the past few decades, Turkey has invested substantially in transport infrastructure to increase connectivity and integration in global transport networks. Still, limited research has been conducted to understand channels and scope of the transport infrastructure development impacts on foreign trade. The objective of this study is to evaluate short-run and long-run causal linkages between transport infrastructure, exports and imports in Turkey for the period between 1987–2019. An autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model is developed considering road and rail transport infrastructure components as well as information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure as a complement to quality transport networks. Results suggest that a speedy road network serves as a locomotive in trade development whereas rail infrastructure can be beneficial if a holistic connectivity plan is developed in a long-term perspective to improve multimodal transportation under a comprehensive, sustained transport policy. Besides, benefits of transport infrastructure investment can be realized in favor of export promotion rather than import growth if a comprehensive policy is followed. In that way transport infrastructure investment would become a stronger instrument to accomplish export competitiveness.