Analysis of Influence of Number of Station Stops on Punctuality of Passenger and Suburban Trains

One of the main tasks of railway employees is to ensure 100 % punctuality of passenger and suburban trains. However, this is impossible due to the action of various reasons, comprising actual reliability of technical equipment and vehicles, natural and other factors. Various companies have different standards and practices of setting and monitoring relevant indicators.The objective of the study was to find out the degree of influence of the e factor formulated as «the number of station stops on the route» on the rate of punctuality of passenger and suburban trains.Calculations and approbation of the suggested model were performed using the example of the JSC Russian Railways.Russian Railways standardise punctuality indicators based on the past performance principle. This does not guarantee that the objective conditions for organising operational work on various railways are fully considered. Besides, it is suggested to consider as main conditions: the level of the use of transit capacity, the technical condition of the infrastructure and rolling stock, etc. However, the factor of the number of station stops of passenger or suburban trains en route envisaged by the traffic schedule is not considered. The greater is the number of station stops, the greater impact, in the absence of a possibility to recover the delay and catch up the traffic schedule, this factor has on the level of traffic punctuality. In turn, the chance to get back on traffic schedule in passenger long distance traffic is higher than in suburban traffic with short routes.The number of station stops varies significantly across the railways, which indicates the unequal conditions of their operation according to this factor.The numerical value of the e factor, as well as of the values of the share of delayed trains (calculated separately for passenger and suburban trains) were determined: by delay in departure – ádep; by delay in arrival at intermediate points of the route – áint; by delay in arrival at the destination – áar. Based on these data, parameters have been established that have allowed to determine the relationship between the number of station stops (e) and the change in the share of delayed trains. Using the methods of mathematical statistics, the insignificant influence of the e parameter on the values of ádep, áint and áar has been established. It is shown that the punctuality of passenger and suburban trains is significantly influenced by the traffic conditions after departure from the initial station and especially by the possibility to come back on the traffic schedule after possible delays along the route. In this case, one should consider the combined organisation of passenger and freight traffic on most lines of the considered network. It is proposed to optimise the number of standardised indicators in view of their reduction.

Mitigating Increased Driving after the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis on Mode Share, Travel Demand, and Public Transport Capacity

Reduced transit capacity to accommodate social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic was a sudden constraint that along with a large reduction in total travel volume and a shift in activity patterns contributed to abrupt changes in transportation mode shares across cities worldwide. There are major concerns that as the total travel demand rises back toward prepandemic levels, the overall transport system capacity with transit constraints will be insufficient for the increasing demand. This paper uses city-level scenario analysis to examine the potential increase in post-COVID-19 car use and the feasibility of shifting to active transportation, based on prepandemic mode shares and varying levels of reduction in transit capacity. An application of the analysis to a sample of cities in Europe and North America is presented. Mitigating an increase in driving requires a substantial increase in active transportation mode share, particularly in cities with high pre-COVID-19 transit ridership; however, such a shift may be possible based on the high percentage of short-distance motorized trips. The results highlight the importance of making active transportation attractive and reinforce the value of multimodal transportation systems as a strategy for urban resilience. This paper provides a strategic planning tool for policy makers facing challenging transportation system decisions in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ESTIMATION OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN STATIONS OF OVERTAKING TRAINS WHEN ORGANIZING A MIXED HIGH-SPEED, PASSENGER AND FREIGHT TRAFFIC ON A RAILWAY LINE

Purpose. This paper presents the calculation method and result of reasonable station spacing in the organization of mixed high-speed passenger and freight transportation, at different speed combinations and different types of train schedules. Methodology. By using the principle of the shortest distance between stations, this paper analyzes the possible layout of passenger and freight trains running at different speeds between Brest and Moscow, and work out the optimal distance between overtaking stations. According to the shortest distance between stations, the blocking method with four-digit automatic should be used when the maximum speed of the passenger train is 250 km/h. The crossing scheme for different types of trains is determined, and the train schedule period (TDS) of each scheme is determined. Calculate the appropriate distance between stations that had been passed through with different trip intervals according to the characteristics of the passing passenger and freight trains. By adopting simulation analysis, the influence of different number of trains and their composition on the station spacing is simulated to work out the reasonable railway station spacing for passenger and freight train with a speed of 250 km / h. Findings. In the case of passenger and freight traffic with the speed of 250 km / h, the optimal distance for stations between Brest and Moscow should be around 35 km. In order to make effective use of the existing infrastructure and achieve maximum transit capacity of the railway, it is recommended to increase the speed of the low priority trains. Originality. The distance between stations on a line will affect the number of stations on the entire line, as well as the maximum train speed and the number of train pairs. Excessive or insufficient station spacing will affect the transportation capacity and efficiency. Therefore, reasonable station spacing will determine the number of trains and the maximum speed of each train for both passenger and freight. Practical value. This paper proposes a method to estimate the reasonable spacing between crossing stations, which can ensure the effective utilization of the capacity of railway sections when high speed passenger trains on existing lines are running at speeds of up to 250 km/h.

Incorporating Practical Degree of Saturation in Capacity Estimation of On-Street, Mid-Block, Off-Line Bus Stops

The effectiveness of an on-street bus facility depends on the general traffic that shares the lane used by buses. The Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual (TCQSM) methodology was used to estimate facility bus capacity based on critical stop operation. Hisham et al. provided an improved understanding of performance of an on-street, mid-block, off-line bus stop by relating bus stop capacity to the adjacent lane traffic flow rate. Using the TCQSM methodology, bus stop capacity was determined by adopting an estimated operation margin that relates to a design bus stop failure rate. However, failure rate is theoretically ambiguous and difficult to quantify in practice, particularly under high volume traffic conditions. In contrast, degree of saturation is a direct measure of operating conditions experienced by buses using the stop, and by the adjacent lane general traffic, so it directly affects approach delay and queuing. The aim of this study was to better understand performance at on-street, mid-block, off-line bus stops by considering degrees of saturation of loading areas and the adjacent lane rather than design failure rate according to the TCQSM methodology, and to ensure that waiting times upstream of bus stops are kept to acceptable levels by determining bus stop maximum working capacity.

Research Paper on Performance Analysis and Recommendations of Traffic Congestion Strategies in Cities of Haryana

This experimental study uses national regulations and survey reports to identify short, medium, and long-term traffic congestion strategies in Haryana's cities. The current study looked into a variety of successful road congestion mitigation techniques, ranging from expanded road capacity to the use of roadways, to see which ones were the most cost-effective. Using an examination of quantitative regression, interviews with transportation policy and decision makers, and alternate matrix criteria, I ranked each traffic congestion mitigation approach from least to most cost efficient based on three cost factors. I discovered that ramp measuring was both the most cost-effective and the most difficult method. Meanwhile, I discovered that expanding transit capacity was the least cost-effective of the solutions I looked into.

Examining the Spatial Coordination between Metrorail Accessibility and Urban Spatial Form in the Context of Big Data

Metrorail accessibility is an important indicator that influences urban spatial form. For this article, we created a 3SFCA method to analyze the Metrorail accessibility of Shanghai covering four levels: traffic analysis zones (TAZs), stations, metrorail network, and regions. The floor area ratio (FAR) was used to reflect the urban form, and spatial coordination model was introduced to examine the spatial balance between metrorail accessibility and urban forms. Results revealed that the spatial distribution of metrorail accessibility and urban form are characterized by a monocentric spatial structure, while the values of both variables decrease gradually from urban center to suburban regions, with the regional difference being significantly greater than the other three levels. The results also indicated that the development of metrorail stations has a time lag effect on the urban spatial form, and the catchment area of a metro station shows characteristics of gradually expanding and then shrinking from city center to suburban regions. Finally, the results showed that there is a strong coordination between accessibility and urban form around metro stations, but the coordinate degree varies by regions. Thus, we concluded that station density should be increased within the fourth ring, FAR should be increased between the second and third rings, and rail transit capacity in the urban center area should be increased.

Assessment of Train Noise at Platforms in Underground Metro Stations

Metro has become one of the most used means among public transit due to its advantages such as mass transit capacity, safety, fast speed, and comfort. Despite its benefits, workers and passengers ride the metro daily, and they are continuously being exposed to a high level of noise. Noise exposure has been related to various health-related issues. This paper presents an evaluation of the acoustic environment at the station’s platform and studies factors affecting the platform’s noise levels. Greater Cairo Metro Line 1, 2, and 3 have been selected as a case study. The result indicates that noise levels are unacceptable compared with the international standards of noise exposure as the highest measured noise level at station platforms was 93.93 dB(A). Regarding the rolling stocks type, the L Aeq was different from one type to another, with a range of 2.28 to 6.5 dB(A). The L Aeq on the underground platforms station was 11 dB(A) higher than on the surface stations regarding the station type. For underground stations, the L Aeq on curved platforms higher than the straight platforms when a train arrived, stop and go from the station with a range of 2.7 to 4.9 dB(A). Regarding the station platform dimension, the L Aeq on the underground platforms with a 5 m width is higher than the one with a 3 m width by 3 dB(A).

Increasing Boarding Lost Time at Regular Bus Stops during Rainy Conditions: A Case Study

Inclement weather conditions affect the behavior of travelers and transportation system operations. Understanding this influence can help improve operational planning schemes for any mode of transport, especially for buses. One of the factors that can be affected by rainfall is the time expended by a passenger from the moment a bus opens its doors until he/she boards the bus. This time is known as the boarding lost time (BLT); it was first introduced in the last edition of the Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual (TCQSM). TCQSM only considers the BLT for bus rapid transit (BRT) stations with more than one berth. Weather conditions are not considered when calculating the current BLT for a BRT system, given the provision of protective shelters over the entire boarding area of such stations. Furthermore, recommendations with regard to the BLT for regular bus stops have not been provided. This paper presents analyses of the BLT for a two-berth regular bus stop under different rainy conditions. The findings demonstrate that the increment in the BLT under heavy rainfall is significantly higher than the difference between the BLTs of Berth 2 and Berth 1 in the absence of rainfall.