Improving train service reliability by applying an effective timetable robustness strategy

ABSTRACT

To avoid propagation of delays in dense railway timetables, it is important to ensure robustness. One strategy to improve robustness is to provide adequate amount of buffer times between trains. This study concerns how “scheduled minimum headways” should be determined in order to improve robustness in timetables. Scheduled minimum headways include technical minimum headway plus some buffer time. We propose a strategy to be implemented in timetables at the final stages of planning and prior to the operations. The main contributions of this study are 1) to propose a strategy where the size of the scheduled minimum headways is dependent on trains' travel times instead of a fixed-sized time slot and it is called “travel time dependent scheduled minimum headways” or TTDSMH, 2) to evaluate the effects of the new strategy on heterogeneity, speed, and the number of trains in timetables, 3) to show that a simple strategy can improve robustness without imposing major changes in timetables. The strategy is implemented in an Mixed Integer Linear Programming framework for timetabling and tested for some problem instances from Sweden. Results show that TTDSMH can improve robustness. The proposed strategy can be applied in intelligent transportation tools for railway timetabling.     

Effectiveness of travel time reliability indicators in the light of the assessment of dynamic managed lane strategy

ABSTRACT

The aim of traffic management is to ensure a high quality of service for a maximum number of users by decreasing congestion and increasing safety. Uncertainty of travel times decreases the quality of service and leads end users to modify their plans regardless of the average travel time. Indicators describing travel time reliability are being developed and should be used in the future both for the optimization and for the assessment of active traffic management operations. This article discusses the efficiency of certain reliability indicators in an ex-post assessment of a traffic management strategy. Ex-post assessment is based on an observational before–after study. As some factors other than the studied management strategy may intervene between the two periods, and as most reliability indicators require knowledge of the full travel time distribution and not only its average, a methodology is developed for the identification of the impact of these exogenous factors on the whole distribution. Many reliability indicators are split into different parts allowing the identification of the part due to the management strategy impact. The methodology is tested numerically on a managed lane operation consisting of Hard Shoulder Running (HSR) at rush hour on a section of a French motorway. The variation of some reliability indicators appears misleading, whereas the splitting of the indicators increases our understanding of the strategy and highlights its impact. The paper gives the reliability assessment of the HSR field test and discusses different reliability indicators to identify their potential performances and shortcomings.     

Robust traffic assignment model: Formulation,solution algorithms and empirical application

ABSTRACT

The deterministic traffic assignment problem based on Wardrop's first criterion of traffic network utilization has been widely studied in the literature. However, the assumption of deterministic travel times in these models is restrictive, given the large degree of uncertainty prevalent in urban transportation networks. In this context, this paper proposes a robust traffic assignment model that generalizes Wardrop's principle of traffic network equilibrium to networks with stochastic and correlated link travel times and incorporates the aversion of commuters to unreliable routes.

The user response to travel time uncertainty is modeled using the robust cost (RC) measure (defined as a weighted combination of the mean and standard deviation of path travel time) and the corresponding robust user equilibrium (UE) conditions are defined. The robust traffic assignment problem (RTAP) is subsequently formulated as a Variational Inequality problem. To solve the RTAP, a Gradient Projection algorithm is proposed, which involves solving a series of minimum RC path sub-problems that are theoretically and practically harder than deterministic shortest path problems. In addition, an origin-based heuristic is proposed to enhance computational performance on large networks. Numerical experiments examine the computational performance and convergence characteristics of the exact algorithm and establish the accuracy and efficiency of the origin-based heuristic on various real-world networks. Finally, the proposed RTA model is applied to the Chennai road network using empirical data, and its benefits as a normative benchmark are quantified through comparisons against the standard UE and System Optimum (SO) models.     

基于决策偏好的ETC系统评价指标体系及评价方法

为更好地反映不同决策者对电子收费系统（ETC）评价的偏好,从政府、运营者和付费者三个主要利益主体的角度对ETC系统的评价指标及评价方法进行了研究。根据评价指标体系筛选原则,确定了基于决策偏好的ETC系统评价指标体系;通过综合分析成本-效益法（CBA）和数据包络分析法（DEA）的各自特点,依据基于决策偏好所确定的评价指标,同时引入当前一些比较好的算法来优化CBA,DEA和AHP法,建立数学模型,从而确立了基于决策偏好的综合评价方法。该方法较为全面地对ETC系统社会经济影响进行评价,所建立的指标体系和方法能更直观、更可靠地反映出决策者的决策偏好。     

公路生态系统服务功能分析及评估

文章探讨了公路生态系统的生态服务功能,提出价值评估指标体系及定量评估方法,为公路生态系统的恢复或重建提供理论依据,对全面、正确评价公路生态系统有积极意义。     

厦门地铁2号线钻探工程海上通航安全评估

依据港口通航现状、港口发展规划、附近海域船舶交通现况,分析通航安全形势,预测厦门轨道交通2号线跨海路段施工期间,船舶交通流可能的变化和通航环境、通航秩序的适应能力,论证在施工期间存在的通航安全风险、主要问题及通航安全保障能力,并提出保障通航安全的可行性建议和措施.     

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城市道路网络中,各等级道路之间衔接的合理与否直接关系到相关道路乃至整个道路网络期望功能的实现。本文以不同等级道路功能分析为基础,提出城市综合交通规划的道路网规划,以交通功能为主要目标的城市道路网络系统专项规划,以服务功能为主要目标的道路网络衔接规划的总体思路。结合以概率统计为基础的蒙特卡罗算法,分别计算交通功能和服务功能的系统可靠度,以作为不同阶段道路网络衔接的主要评价指标,并探讨道路网络衔接中的越级交叉问题。最后以郑州市某区域道路网络为例,验证了本文方法的可行性与适用性。     

基于名义应力法的动车组车体净水箱吊装部件疲劳强度分析

针对高速运行动车组车体悬挂设备振动疲劳损伤问题,以某型动车组车顶净水箱吊装结构为研究对象,采用名义应力法对吊装结构的焊缝部位进行疲劳强度评估.根据EN 12663标准确定净水箱的工作载荷工况,采用有限元法计算了各工况下结构的振动响应,并基于BS标准计算了焊缝疲劳评估点的寿命.假定各载荷工况出现频率相同的情况下,构造了工作载荷历程,采用Fe-safe软件对焊缝的疲劳寿命进行了仿真分析.两种方法分析结果均表明:焊缝1与焊缝2寿命最低,是结构最易发生疲劳破坏的位置;焊缝位于筋板表面的焊趾寿命低于位于主支撑板表面的焊趾寿命.     

城市轨道交通网络可靠性分析

为预防突发事件对城市轨道交通网络的影响,提高应变能力、增强运营稳定性,有必要对其网络可靠性进行分析。以上海市轨道交通网络为实证对象,基于L空间和P空间方法建立两种网络拓扑结构,分析其复杂网络的静态特性。提出针对车站删除方法的4种攻击策略,并对各种攻击策略下网络可靠性的变化进行比较分析。结果表明,轨道交通车站网络和换乘网络对随机攻击具有鲁棒性,对蓄意攻击具有脆弱性;动态攻击策略对网络可靠性的影响比静态攻击策略更大。     

沿海港口发展环境及适应性分析

立足于国际经贸环境、中国国民经济以及中国对外贸易发展和产业布局调整的最新形势,分析当前全国沿海港口发展的阶段性特点及面临的宏观环境。提出码头评估能力的概念,客观分析港口吞吐量统计数据的构成,就沿海港口评估能力与运输需求的总体适应性、分区域适应性、发展结构适应性以及与产业布局适应性进行探讨,提出问题及建议,展望港口发展态势。