Train Travel Research Articles

Maintenance Management In Handling The Problem of Rail Damage Affecting Railway Travel Safety (Wonokromo-Sidoarjo Route)

Regarding the number of trains that have accidents, one of them is due to damaged rails among 4 other causes, so that it has an impact on the delay and safety of the train journey itself. The purpose of this study is as an input related to the maintenance management system, especially in terms of handling problems of damage to railway infrastructure, in this case rail lines that require maintenance, especially regarding human resources who handle them, so that appropriate solutions can be obtained in short-term or long-term solutions for the comfort and safety of train travel. This study uses a mix method, and when identification is carried out, problems are found on the railway, namely the number of damages where after analysis, the results are a number of maintenance equipment that is still lacking, as well as the number of logistics or spare parts. And after being evaluated, it was found that some damage to the components of the Wonokromo – Sidoarjo cross rail road was caused by the cross load received by the cross of 11,543,796 tons/year, so that when it is associated with PM 60 of 2012 concerning Technical Requirements for Railway Lines, the Wonokromo-Sidoarjo cross should no longer be included in road class III but class II, so that maintenance management is needed in the maintenance of railway infrastructure which should be further improved, especially in terms of fulfilling certified human resources.

Nondestructive testing of railway embankments by measuring multi-modal dispersion of surface waves induced by high-speed trains with linear geophone arrays

To effectively address engineering challenges and risks, it is crucial to characterize mechanical properties of near-surface environments. The Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) has proven to be a valuable active seismic imaging technique by providing near-surface shear (S)-wave velocities estimations. However, its application to urban areas requires further development. This study leverages well-constrained experimental sites to assess the viability of a passive-MASW technique, utilizing seismic waves induced by high-speed train traffic instead of conventional active sources. We suggest employing short 96-geophone uniform linear arrays to capture surface waves in a broad frequency band (10-200 Hz). Train passages are automatically detected and categorized regarding to the train travel direction. Seismic interferometry and phase-weighted stack techniques are applied to generate virtual shot-gathers that are transformed into high-resolution multi-modal dispersion images. Our results demonstrate a strong coherence between the picked dispersion curves from the passive-MASW approach and those obtained through traditional active MASW with a hammer source. We discuss the validity of higher modes and explore array density limits to ensure reliable results. Our findings highlight that seismic interferometry, coupled with a high phase-weighted stack power, effectively recovers energy at high frequencies, enhancing the characterization of multi-modal surface-wave dispersion associated with thin near-surface layers.

FAILURE MODES AND EFFECTS ANALYSIS (FMEA) ON TRACK INFRASTRUCTURE INTEGRITY ASSESSMENT

Track infrastructure plays an important role in the railway business, where the safety of rail travel is determined by the integrity that exists in each component of the railway track. In this paper, an integrity assessment of track infrastructure is carried out using the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) method by identifying various failure modes for each component and track geometry that have existed in the field. Then a survey was conducted to track maintenance experts at PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) to get the value of severity, occurrence, detection, and recommended actions taken. Based on the analysis, the failure mode with the highest Risk Priority Number (RPN) is the cracked rail on the welding/fish plate joint with a value of 280, while the failure mode with the lowest RPN is the loose rail with a value of 108. Then 21 failure modes fall into the "unacceptable" risk level, 4 failure modes fall into the "tolerable" risk level, and 1 failure mode falls into the "acceptable" risk level. From the results of this assessment, it is expected to help in prioritizing the risk of failure, so that the maintenance strategy can be planned properly, and the safety of train travel can be maintained.

Soil Nailing Application for Railways Track Safety on Slope Area

Abstract Railways track at KM 25+100 - KM 25+200 from Jember to Banyuwangi is constructed next to slope area with inclination angle 69°. As railways track mapping report, this area is categorized as a high-potential landslide area that can harm train travel. By using soil nailing method with threaded steel and embedded into the soil for grouting, slope stabilization be improved. Undisturbed soil sampling on 1.5 m depth was carried out and tested to determine soil parameters. Based on the USCS soil classification, the soil at the site is an organic clay with high plasticity. Soil parameters are used to calculate the slope safety factor before and after soil nailing application with the best reinforcement design. By utilizing Plaxis 2D CE V20 Bentley software and manual calculations with the bishop method for comparison, the potential landslide before reinforcement resulted a safety factor value of 1.198 by using Plaxis and 0.97 by calculated manually. Some soil nailing reinforcement planning design is obtained and resulted that soil nailing design with diameter 29 mm, slope angle application on 20° with distance between nail bar at 1m, and nail length 9m have best safety factor value at 1.548. With the best design and >1.5 SF value, the soil nailing design is safe against landslides risk.

Modeling Resilience of Metro-Based Urban Underground Logistics System Based on Multi-Layer Interdependent Network

The metro-based underground logistics system (M-ULS) has been identified as an effective solution to urban problems resulting from the expansion of urban freight traffic. However, there is a paucity of current research that examines the resilience of a M-ULS in the context of unexpected events during operations. Therefore, this paper presents a methodology for assessing the resilience of the M-ULS. The method considers the propagation paths of various failures in a multi-layered, interdependent network that includes topology, functionality, facilities, and information, as well as network performance indicators based on network freight flow and logistics timeliness. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated using the case of the Nanjing Metro. The results show that the type of disruption, the duration, and the direction of train travel all have a significant impact on the resilience of the M-ULS. The method proposed in this paper provides a scientific basis for the assessment and optimization of M-ULS resilience and also offers new insights into the use of urban rail transit to promote the sustainable development of urban logistics.

The Trend toward Sustainable Train Travel among the Young Generation Z: Market Analysis in Romania

The Trend toward Sustainable Train Travel among the Young Generation Z: Market Analysis in Romania

Acoustic optimization design for the laying schemes on the composite roof structure of high-speed train

ABSTRACT If the weak sound insulation in the roof during high-speed train travel through tunnels can be addressed by adjusting the order of materials, this will meet design requirements for both economy and lightweight construction. This paper studies this problem. First, a prediction model for sound transmission loss (STL) of the roof was established to investigate the impact of different material placement schemes and optimize their arrangement. Then, the optimal placement schemes between the roof and floor were compared using STL tests. Finally, this study also examined how an optimal scheme mitigates power radiation from the roof into the train interior under typical mechanical excitations. The results indicate that the optimal laying scheme for the roof differs from that of the floor. By placing sound absorption materials on the inner side of aluminium extrusion and sound insulation materials on decorative plate, it effectively enhances vibro-acoustic characteristics of the roof.

Analysis of train-induced aerodynamic characteristics and pressure-relief measures relating to fully enclosed noise barriers installed on railway bridges

Fully enclosed noise barriers (FENBs) are increasingly being installed on high-speed railway bridges for noise pollution control. However, the aerodynamic effects of high-speed trains passing FENBs have an adverse impact on barrier durability and generate micro-pressure waves. In this paper, a numerical model of a train passing an FENB on a bridge is established. The aerodynamic pressure distribution along the FENB is analyzed for both a single train and two trains passing one another. The propagation characteristics and evolution mechanisms of pressure waves are then investigated. The results show that the pressure is lower at the ends of the FENB and higher in the middle along the direction of train travel. The peak positive and negative pressures at the mid-span are 1.95 and 4.47 times higher than those at the ends, respectively. This distribution is caused by the propagation, superposition, reflection, and attenuation of pressure waves. Compression waves account for 78.9% of the peak positive pressure. An amplification factor must be considered when estimating the impact of two trains passing one another. Analysis of five pressure-relief schemes shows that arranging a single pressure-relief hole at a high-pressure location effectively alleviates the over-pressure in the FENB. The overall pressure-relief effect is an exponential function of the single opening area. Considering a constant opening area, arranging several relief holes at equal spacing optimizes the adverse pressure distribution compared with the single-hole relief scheme. The equivalent forces of the multi-hole scheme are 3.35% and 7.58% lower than in the single-hole scheme.

A Queue-SEIAR model: Revealing the transmission mechanism of epidemics in a metro line from a meso level

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected communities worldwide. The metro, an essential means of public transportation in many cities, is particularly vulnerable to the spread of the virus due to its limited space and complex passenger flow structure. As the basis of quick and effective management decision-making, it is very important but intractable to accurately and quickly capture the transmission mechanism of epidemics in the metro line. This study addresses this challenge by proposing a meso-level Queue-SEIAR model. The Queue-SEIAR model integrates a feedback queuing network model, which captures the nonlinear stochastic effect of the congestion propagation on passenger mobility dynamics in the metro line, with an extended SEIAR (Susceptible, Exposed, Infected, Asymptomatic, and Recovered) epidemic model in multiple-subgroups situations. The risk of infection within a metro line is measured using the Total Number of Newly Exposed Travelers (TNNET). The Euler’s method is used to solve the Queue-SEIAR model, with time complexity that is independent of passenger volumes and station and train capacities, making it suitable for the analysis and decision-making of large-scale metro lines. The Queue-SEIAR model is validated versus the micro-level agent-based simulation. Numerical experiments reveal some interesting findings: (1) The gap between the Queue-SEIAR model and the benchmark Macro-level Epidemic Model (MEM) in terms of TNNET will become larger with congestion; (2) From the Queue-SEIAR model, low-demand and low-risk stations may become high-risk because of the congestion propagation, while MEM does not reveal such a pattern; (3) There exists a moderate allowed entering proportion, train dwell time, and social distance to minimize the TNNET; (4) The optimal social distance increases as the train headway or travel demand increases; and (5) The epidemic prevention effectiveness of side platforms surpasses that of island platforms.

The Impact of Yoga on Athletes' Mental Well-Being: An Experimental Study.

Background Athletes have a variety of obstacles that might shrink their chances of getting adequate rest, including competing and training times, travel, stress, academic responsibilities, and overtraining. Furthermore, athletes have been reported to have poor self-reports of their sleep length and quality. The study aims to assess the impact of yoga practice on sleep quality, stress, anxiety, psychological rigidity, and experience avoidance. Methods A pre- and post-testrandomized design was applied for the research. Forty-four recreational athletes (age 18-45 years)were selected per the inclusion criteria from the athletes studying at Banaras Hindu University. Exclusion criteria are a likely severe psychiatric disorder, chronic illness, substance abuse, disability, endocrine or metabolic disorders, and history of using psychotropic drugsand smoking. The Yogic intervention contains the Pranayama and meditation, which was practiced for six weeks in the intervention group. Outcome variables were stress, sleep, anxiety, mindfulness, psychological rigidity, and experience avoidance. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI),Sport Competition Anxiety Test, Mindful Attention AwarenessScale (MAAS), and Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) were applied to measure the outcomes. Results The majority of the participants(30 (68%)) were male, and 44 (100%) had more than two years of sports experience. Of the participants, 18 (40.90%) had a habit of 3-5 hours of internet surfing. We noticed that there was a significant mean difference from pre- to post-intervention in terms of stress, sleep, anxiety, mindfulness, psychological rigidity, and experience avoidance (p < 0.0001). Conclusion The results concluded positive effects of yoga on athletes' stress, sleep, anxiety, mindfulness, psychological rigidity, and experience avoidance in athletes.Stress alleviationand reduced anxiety are the strongest predictors of improving psychological flexibility skills in athletes' daily lives. Improving mindfulness and supporting good sleep patternscould be good indicators of improving psychological rigidity and experience avoidance.

Linking music, place and heritage: Anthonie Tonnon's Rail Land

AbstractI investigate intersections between music and mobilities as manifested in songwriter and musician Anthonie Tonnon's Rail Land tour of 2019–20. These concerts celebrated New Zealand's passenger rail heritage through not only performance but also by mobilising the audience to travel by train to the concert venue. The curation of both journey and destination amounted to a subtle activism. In influencing the way people travelled to his shows, Tonnon effectively remobilised a consideration of train travel in which the journey was arguably as memorable as the destination. As such, the artist was contributing to a re‐entwining of music, identity and place.

The Arrival from Abroad: Train Travel and Mobile Ideas of Race in Pre-Apartheid South African Literature

ABSTRACT This article identifies and explores an inciting incident in two pre-apartheid South African novels: the trope of an ‘arrival from abroad’. This trope centres on a character arriving by train from a place figured as foreign, whether that is Cape Town or London, to the rural South African setting of the story, bringing ideas of interracial togetherness with them that challenge local racial hierarchizations. Two novels are used as case studies, one from the beginning of the 20th century – Perceval Gibbon’s Margaret Harding (1911) – and one written on the eve of apartheid – Peter Abrahams’s The Path of Thunder (1948). The traveller from abroad is either a black South African who has been educated in Europe or Cape Town and arrives home to effect change, or the traveller is a white character from Europe whose values are pitted against those of white South Africans. In both cases, the ‘arrival from abroad’ is a destabilizing force to the local community, bringing often unwelcome ideas from outside. Together, Gibbon’s and Abrahams’s novels allow me to explore the interrelations between the mobility of ideas from one place to another, ideologies of race, the figure of the outsider, and train travel in South African literature from the first half of the 20th century. Comparing Gibbon and Abrahams enables me to trace differences and continuities over time and in diverse uses of the trope. This article argues that the ‘arrival from abroad’ trope is used to embody a notion of mobile ideas at a time when trains served to shift both goods and people to radical effect on society.

Returning to Work on Machinist with Centra Serous Chorioretinopathy: A Case Report

Introduction. Central Serous Chorioretinopathy (CSCR) is one of the four most common retinal diseases after macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal vein occlusion that can directly impact the visual function of workers. CSCR is characterized by retinal detachment of the pigment epithelium in the macula due to fluid flow from inadequate hyperpermeability of the choriopapillary and epithelial membranes. The etiology and pathogenesis of CSCR are multifactorial, including genetic, pregnancy, psychosocial stress, glucocorticosteroid use, sleep disorder, and irregular work schedule. Methods. The male patient, 33 years old, working as a train driver was consulted regarding his fitness to work after being declared with a diagnosis of resolved bilateral CSCR. He has the main task of operating the train and alert process as well as the leader in train travel. He was diagnosed with CSCR when he was found to have decreased visual acuity at a periodic medical examination. Result. Fit with Note (Restriction) as train driver If symptoms appear with the least possible symptom intensity, immediately report, consult, and get treatment. Assistance by assistant driver during on duty, No overtime, long-working hours, or on-call duty. Discussion. Literature was searched through PubMed and Scopus. Five relevant articles were found and had undergone critical appraisal based on criteria by the Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine. Return to work assessment was conducted using the seven steps of return-to-work evaluation issued by IOMA (Indonesian Occupational Medicine Specialist Association). Examinations and several notes at workplace will be used to ensure the patient's ability to return to work. Conclusion. The employee, who has been cured from CSCR, has potential recurrence because of working risks. Adjustments and preparedness in the working area, education to the patient, family, and office management are needed while returning to work.

Analisis Tingkat Pelayanan Atas Kepuasaan Pelanggan Penyedia Barang Logistik Yang Akan Di Asuransikan Pada PT Kereta Api (Persero ) Medan Labuhan

The level of customer satisfaction with logistics goods provider services, especially PT Kereta Api (Persero) Medan Labuhan, is the main focus in this analysis. Through a survey of 35 respondents using local and long-distance train services, six main aspects of service were evaluated: ticket sales service, arrival time, cabin cleanliness, security, air circulation, and arrival time at destination. The results illustrate that despite improvements in some aspects, such as arrival times and safety, additional areas, including cabin cleanliness and air circulation, still have plenty of space for further development. According to these results, if we want to make train travel better for everyone, we need to pay close attention to these elements.

Navigating perils at the US-Mexico border: an illustrated exploration of trauma among southern border migrants

Surge in migrants at the US-Mexico border, intensified by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has led to over 2.7 million U.S. Border patrol encounters in 2022. This article explores trauma among Southern border migrants, categorizing injuries from desert crossing, border wall traversal, fleeing, and train travel. Desert migration poses risks from harsh terrain, extreme temperatures, and dehydration. The border wall, covering a quarter of the border, results in varying falls, correlating with increased morbidity at greater heights. Motor vehicle use introduces dangers, including high-speed chases and altercations, causing significant morbidity. "La Bestia," cargo trains, expose passengers to assault, coercion, and injuries during boarding attempts. The study details organ-based injuries, emphasizing distinct patterns in facial trauma, thoracic injuries, abdominopelvic injuries, and lower extremity injuries. Controlled and uncontrolled falls have diverse outcomes, with pediatric populations facing increased morbidity. In conclusion, migrants face serious risks, including heat-related illnesses, violent crimes, and traumatic injuries. Southern border migrants, often deported without complete care, represent an underserved population. This exploration sheds light on their unique healthcare needs, urging attention to their challenges in a concise manner.

Evaluation of Commuter Train User Mapping in the Sidoarjo – Indro Department

The mobility of people from Sidoarjo to Gresik for various purposes requires commuter train as an efficient transportation mode. There is a fundamental need to map the distribution of potential commuter train users whose destination is Gresik area. In this study, the researcher chose Sidoarjo - Indro commuter train route as it intersects with a road and its vehicular traffic. This research method examined the population, number of people using commuter service, vehicle mode selection, and problems encountered while travelling between Sidoarjo and Gresik. Data collection methods used were surveys and questionnaires. Data processing used was tabulation. The mapping results show that the purpose of the passengers’ trip is predominantly for work using motorbike which delivered access as far as 4 km (30%) and online motorbike taxi as far as 4 km (43%). It is known that the distribution of commuter train passengers is dominated by those who start from Gubeng Station and stop at Sidoarjo Station. The mapping of the distribution is important to create fundamental reference that is further used in transportation modelling for areas that are not yet served by Commuter Train services, considering that commuter train services are not evenly distributed throughout the region. It is also essential to evaluate based on commuter train travel behavior mapping.

Analysis of Intercity Transportation Network Efficiency Using Flow-Weighted Time Circuity: A Case Study of Seven Major City Clusters in China

Enhancing the efficiency of intercity transportation networks is crucial for sustainable regional transport development, significantly impacting travel behaviors and energy consumption. The transportation infrastructure within the city cluster is rapidly developing to accommodate the increasing traffic demand, necessitating substantial investments. It is imperative to investigate the effectiveness of intercity traffic within urban clusters, to evaluate the influence of transportation infrastructure enhancements on regional traffic efficiency. Circuity is a conventional metric used to assess the efficiency of transportation networks, primarily emphasizing distance, while overlooking factors such as travel time and traffic flow. In this study, the concept of circuity has been redefined in terms of travel time and has been referred to as the transportation network travel speed. Subsequently, the amalgamation of travel speed within the transportation network and traffic flow culminates in the proposition of Flow-Weighted Time Circuity (FWTC). Real-time intercity navigation data, offering accurate travel time estimations, are utilized to analyze the spatial distribution of intercity transport efficiency in the seven major city clusters of China, via both automobile and train modes of transportation. The results indicate that (1) as the travel distance extends, the speed of transportation within the network typically increases, albeit with increasing fluctuations, especially in the case of intercity train travel; (2) concerning the efficiency of intercity automobile travel, most city clusters demonstrate satisfactory performance, with the exception of the Guanzhong Plain. The Yangtze River Delta and Beijing–Tianjin–Heibei regions stand out for their superior performance. In terms of intercity train efficiency, the Yangtze River Delta, Beijing–Tianjin–Heibei, and Mid-Yangtze River regions exhibit higher levels of efficiency in intercity train transportation, while the Guanzhong Plain city cluster falls behind in this aspect. On the whole, the efficiency of intercity travel using automobiles surpasses that of train travel, indicating a pressing need for improvement in the latter.

An instance-based transfer learning model with attention mechanism for freight train travel time prediction in the China–Europe railway express

Since the inception of the China–Europe Railway Express (CRE), rail transportation has emerged as a predominant means of transporting goods across international borders. The quality and reliability of railway transport services are constrained by the precision of train travel times. However, the real-time data available for the CRE trains is rather limited due to the volume and duration of operations, which increases the difficulty of forecasting CRE train travel times. In order to enhance the accuracy of predictions, a novel two-stage transfer learning model with the Long Short-Term Memory attention (T.R2_LSTM_A) is introduced in this study. By incorporating attention mechanisms, the Long Short-Term Memory networks (LSTM) module, the two-stage TrAdaBoost.R2 algorithm, and transfer learning (TL), the model captures the inherent characteristics of time series data and attains a high level of accuracy in predictions. This approach effectively mitigates the limitations of current transfer learning methods, which are primarily caused by insufficient sample data. In the model, an instance-based TL method is utilized to address the shortcomings of insufficient data, and an attention-based LSTM is selected as a base learner to overcome the thorny issues of gradient disappearance and explosion. Additionally, LSTM Attention (LSTM_A), a novel attention mechanism, is introduced to improve the ability of the proposed model to capture complicated characteristics. The T.R2_LSTM_A model is systemically evaluated and shown to be superior to Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Regression (SVR), LSTM, convolution-based LSTM (CLSTM), AdaBoost_LSTM, LSTM with attention mechanism (LSTM_Attention), and TrAdaBoost.R2_RF (T.R2_RF) for predicting train travel time, using a real-life case study of CRE. The MSE, RMSE, MAPE, and MAE values for the T.R2_LSTM_A model are equal to 5.572, 2.361, 2.578, and 1.767, respectively. These values surpass those of other widely used prediction methods, indicating that the T.R2_LSTM_A model is well-suited for predicting train travel times in the CRE.

Railing through reality: Trains and mobility in Victorian ghost stories

This paper explores the multifaceted cultural history of ghost trains in Victorian fiction by situating three little-known ghost stories in the publishing and social history of the second half of the nineteenth century. The figure of the ghost train offers a route into the entangled history of publishing and railways by contextualising the anxieties presented in railway ghost stories with the real-world experiences of passengers. Taking ideas of mobility as a focal point, this paper brings together discussions of virtual travel and the supernatural to demonstrate some of the impact railways had on reading and writing about train travel. More so than tales of other haunted transport technologies, it is the ghost train's unnatural capacity for movement that disturbs both passengers and readers. By both enhancing and warping reality, railways are ripe source material for Victorian ghost stories to entertain and demand questions of spatio-temporal experience from their reading passengers.

Gastrointestinal syndrome encountered during a train voyage to high altitudes: A 14-day survey of 69 passengers in China

BackgroundThe diagnosis and evaluation of the severity of acute mountain sickness (AMS) continue to be problematic due to a lack of consensus on the inclusion of symptoms in a scoring system. Recent investigations highlight the significance of gastrointestinal symptoms in identifying this condition. However, the specific gastrointestinal symptoms associated with AMS have not been thoroughly elucidated in previous studies, and the underlying risk factors remain inadequately comprehended. MethodsThis study aimed to investigate the characteristics, trends, and risk factors related to gastrointestinal symptoms encountered during train travel to high altitude. A total of 69 passengers, specifically all with medical backgrounds, were surveyed 6 times over a period of 14 days. ResultsThe daily incidence of abdominal discomfort was higher than non-gastrointestinal symptoms within 14 days. Gastrointestinal symptoms demonstrated a greater prevalence, longer duration, and increased risk compared to non-gastrointestinal symptoms, such as headaches. The symptoms of abdominal distension and bowel sound hyperaction were found to be prevalent and persistent among patients diagnosed with AMS, exhibiting a high incidence rate. Gender, age, body mass index (BMI), smoking habits, and alcohol consumption were identified as risk factors associated with the occurrence and duration of gastrointestinal symptoms. ConclusionThis study suggests that gastrointestinal symptoms are more common and persistent when traveling to the plateau by train. These symptoms should be taken into consideration in the further diagnosis and prevention of AMS. Therefore, this study provides a significant theoretical foundation for the prevention and treatment of AMS.