Springer Science and Business Media LLC

The paper aims to provide an overview of the key factors to consider when performing reliable modelling of rail services. Given our underlying belief that to build a robust simulation environment a rail service cannot be considered an isolated system, also the connected systems, which influence and, in turn, are influenced by such services, must be properly modelled. For this purpose, an extensive overview of the rail simulation and optimisation models proposed in the literature is first provided. Rail simulation models are classified according to the level of detail implemented (microscopic, mesoscopic and macroscopic), the variables involved (deterministic and stochastic) and the processing techniques adopted (synchronous and asynchronous). By contrast, within rail optimisation models, both planning (timetabling) and management (rescheduling) phases are discussed. The main issues concerning the interaction of rail services with travel demand flows and the energy domain are also described. Finally, in an attempt to provide a comprehensive framework an overview of the main metaheuristic resolution techniques used in the planning and management phases is shown.

Although the accident number involving trams is comparatively very limited to the total road accident number, the consequences of tram crashes are very serious, especially when pedestrians are run over. The new power supply technologies (e.g. catenary-free systems) allow to build tram networks, even in old town centres and pedestrian areas, with additional increased risk of pedestrian casualties. This will require specific design solutions and traffic regulations for road safety as described in this paper, with particular regard to vulnerable users (i.e. pedestrians and cyclists), especially near intersections and pedestrian crossings. Therefore, the research analyses the road accident rate and its evolution in the last 10 years with specific focus on Italian tramways. The main risk conditions and the strategies used worldwide to improve the safety of tramway system in the urban context are described. The main countermeasures to reduce accident risks are aimed at better warning road users of specific risk conditions. Other countermeasures are designed to install suitable facilities on road platforms for better informing users of tramway system, for limiting or temporarily prohibiting turning movements or manoeuvrings and for properly channelling pedestrian and vehicle flows with the purpose to avoid or reduce interference with trams.

Under the background of urbanization and the rapid development of urban rail transit (URT), serious attention has been focused on URT network reliability in recent years. In this work, in order to measure network reliability, three indicators are constructed based on passengers’ tolerable travel paths, passenger travel efficiency and passenger travel realization on a URT network. The passenger tolerability coefficient, which is the ratio of passengers’ tolerable travel time to the shortest possible travel time, is proposed and added to the indicators. It reflects passengers’ behavior with respect to choice of travel paths. The ratio of affected passenger volume (RAPV) is proposed to identify important stations. Finally, the connectivity reliability of Wuhan’s subway network is analyzed by simulating attacks on stations. The results show that the degree centrality, betweenness centrality and RAPV indicators of stations can effectively identify the important stations that have a significant impact on the connectivity reliability of the network. In particular, the RAPV indicator effectively identifies stations that have the greatest influence on passenger travel realization. The connectivity reliability of Wuhan’s subway network is sensitive to passenger tolerability coefficient, and reliability is greater during non-peak hours than during peak hours. In addition, the stations that are important to the connectivity reliability of the Wuhan subway have two features, i.e., they are located at the center of the city, and they are important for connecting subgraphs of the network.

The purpose of this work is to support the transit-oriented development (TOD) in Thailand. The main research objective is to explore the relationship between ridership demand and TOD indicators, which is expected to be the first question that a developer in Thailand must be able to answer in order to direct their development plan in the right direction. Using existing Bangkok metro stations as a case study, 22 variables categorized into three groups (density, diversity, and design) were collected for an 800-m buffer area around the stations. Results of the correlation analysis between transit ridership and other variables show a significant relation with the volume of transit ridership. Bus services have a stronger influence on transit ridership than railway stations and ferries (pier). Also, the interchange stations and park-and-ride buildings are found to be the main variables that correlate directly with the transit ridership numbers. Results from the principal component analysis are used to evaluate factors of TOD characteristics for the existing Bangkok metro stations, categorized into seven factor groups.

The global COVID-19 pandemic is having a significant impact on the development of many aspects all over the world. As an important part of public services, rail transit requires effective response countermeasures to control the spread of COVID-19. Considering the current development of the epidemic situation, this article discusses the characteristics of COVID-19 transmission and identifies vulnerable areas to target in order to prevent and control the spread of the epidemic in the rail transit system. Countermeasures adopted to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are analyzed in terms of external and internal categories, which were classified into six groups: passenger service, case care, information, staff, equipment and operation management. An evaluation architecture was also constructed, which was established from the perspective of effectiveness, economic efficiency, acceptability, privacy and so on. The effect of implementing the measures was evaluated by a social survey, and their advantages and shortcomings were analyzed, which can be used to guide future epidemic prevention and control for rail transit systems around the world. It is important to formulate a reasonable work schedule according to local conditions, providing a reference for rapid response to future public health emergencies of international concern.

Passenger ropeways are a promising alternative for the development of public transport infrastructure in large cities. However, the construction of ropeways has a rather high cost and requires taking into account a significant number of restrictions associated with the features of the existing urban development and the placement of urban infrastructure. The main objective of this research is to develop optimization models that minimize the total cost of modular intermediate towers of a discretely variable height and a rope system due to the optimal placement and selection of the height of these towers, taking into account the features of the surface topography and urban development. The proposed modular principle for the construction of intermediate towers also enables the cost of construction to be further reduced. As a specific example, the design of a ropeway in the city of Bryansk, which has a complex terrain, is considered. The developed models are conveniently used at the initial stage of the design of the ropeway to compare the cost of various options for the location of the ropeway route in order to reduce the risk of error when choosing the least expensive option. The calculation results can serve as a guide for a preliminary assessment of the number and height of intermediate towers, their installation locations on the ground and the characteristics of the cable system.