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OWA与灰色聚类的城市轨道交通PPP融资风险评价方法研究

针对城市轨道交通PPP融资成本高、投资回收期长、不确定性因素多等特点导致整个融资过程充满风险,且难以进行科学的评价,进而增加风险评价难度的问题,提出基于OWA与灰色聚类的城市轨道交通PPP融资风险评价方法。首先从全寿命周期角度构建城市轨道交通PPP融资风险指标体系。然后基于OWA算子对专家决策数据按照降序的方式重新排序,消除极值带来的不利影响,加权得出指标的权重值。最后考虑指标的灰色性、信息不完整性,构建灰色白化权函数实现指标信息的透明化,完成对PPP融资风险的聚类分析。应用构建的模型对郑州地铁1号线一期工程PPP融资风险进行评价,认为该地铁工程PPP融资风险等级高,应重点关注前期策划、社会资本、政策环境、设计质量、成本超支、建设质量、残值7个主要风险指标的控制,以期为该项目融资风险管理提供建议,并进一步丰富城市轨道交通PPP融资风险的评价方法。     

基于SHEL和三角模糊数理论的地铁钻爆法施工安全评价方法研究

为合理应用决策数据中不同专家的背景知识,找出地铁施工过程中安全测评体系的关注重点,根据地铁施工的特点和SHEL安全模型理论,建立以人-软件(L-S)、人-硬件(L-H)、人-环境(L-E)和人-人(L-L)4个环节为基础的钻爆法地铁施工安全指标体系。请专家给出指标语义评价等级和指标权重语义评价等级,并根据其与三角模糊数的对应关系分别得出三角模糊数评价值。针对不同专家的重要性程度差异,提出基于三角模糊数的群一致性评价方法,得出专家综合权重,集结评价数据,最终得到安全评价结果。最后,对青岛地铁1号线过海段进行实例分析。结果表明,该方法可以解决群评价过程中专家个体权威与群体共识难以兼顾的问题,能够充分利用群决策中的原始评价信息,提高地铁施工安全水平评价的准确性。     

Magneto-rheological suspensions for improving ground vehicle’s ride comfort,stability, and handling

ABSTRACT

A state-of-the-art discussion on the applications of magneto-rheological (MR) suspensions for improving ride comfort, handling, and stability in ground vehicles is discussed for both road and rail applications. A historical perspective on the discovery and engineering development of MR fluids is presented, followed by some of the common methods for modelling their non-Newtonian behaviour. The common modes of the MR fluids are discussed, along with the application of the fluid in valve mode for ground vehicles’ dampers (or shock absorbers). The applications span across nearly all road vehicles, including automobiles, trains, semi-trucks, motorcycles, and even bicycles. For each type of vehicle, the results of some of the past studies is presented briefly, with reference to the originating study. It is discussed that Past experimental and modelling studies have indicated that MR suspensions provide clear advantages for ground vehicles that far surpasses the performance of passive suspension. For rail vehicles, the primary advantage is in terms of increasing the speed at which the onset of hunting occurs, whereas for road vehicles – mainly automobiles – the performance improvements are in terms of a better balance between vehicle ride, handling, and stability. To further elaborate on this point, a single-suspension model is used to develop an index-based approach for studying the compromise that is offered by vehicle suspensions, using the H₂ optimisation approach. Evaluating three indices based on the sprung-mass acceleration, suspension rattlespace, and tyre deflection, it is clearly demonstrated that MR suspensions significantly improve road vehicle’s ride comfort, stability, and handling in comparison with passive suspensions. For rail vehicles, the simulation results indicate that using MR suspensions with an on-off switching control can increase the speed at which the on-set of hunting occurs by as much as 50% to more than 300%.     

大型活动交通影响评价方法

大型活动吸引和产生的突增交通量会造成周边地区的交通拥挤。通过比较大型活动与大型商业建设项目的交通影响评价特点和分析大型活动交通管理的影响因素,分别针对“提供一次性服务的大型活动”和“提供长效服务的大型活动”,设计了交通需求的预测方法。以交叉口服务水平分析方法为基础,提出一种了大型活动的交通影响评价方法。以长春市南岭体育场举办的“中国足球甲A联赛”为对象,运用Vissim微观交通仿真软件对所提出的方法进行了初步验证。结果表明,在大型活动条件下,所提出的方法能够确定需要进行交通管制的空间范围。     

龙坑枢纽立交方案设计

随着高速公路逐年增长,使得高速公路与高速公路相交的枢纽立交也越来越多.对龙坑枢纽立交方案比选设计进行了详细介绍.     

遗传算法在沥青混凝土路面评价体系中的应用

路面评价体系需要考虑到诸多因素,而且实现方法不一而足。从统计学角度出发,将投影追踪模型应用到该领域,以投影寻踪模型作为理论方法,通过遗传算法来实现模型求解。实例描述了该方法应用的关键步骤,并指出对于数据量充分、影响因素明确的准真系统,采用投影寻踪模型进行方案决策更具有客观性。     

双车道公路危险路段评价指标与安全改善对策

选取相邻路段车速差△V、车速降低系数SRC和速度离差作为鉴别双车道公路危险路段的三个评价指标,从道路工程措施和交通安全设施两方面对事故多发路段进行安全改善对策研究。以内蒙古S203公路为例,利用评价指标进行危险路段判析,针对K465＋900急弯陡坡危险路段,通过线形改造以及设置交通标志标线、减速设施、避险车道和防护设施等一系列工程改造措施,进行安全改善综合方案设计。