Continuous approximation models for mixed load school bus routing

School bus routing is a complex and expensive transportation problem for many public school districts. Typical school bus routes serve a single school, but mixed load school bus routes carry students for more than one school at the same time. A mixed load policy reduces the number of stops and distance to pick up and drop off children, but it can increase travel distance by visiting multiple schools. This paper provides a general strategic analysis using continuous approximation models to assess the conditions under which mixed loading is likely to be beneficial. We also present a case study for a semi-rural Missouri school district to illustrate the application of the models in practice. Results show that mixed load routing is more beneficial for larger districts, when a large percentage of bus stops are shared by students of different schools, and when schools are closer together.     

高速动车组制动性能测试系统

介绍了用于高速动车组制动性能测试系统的硬件配置及配套测试软件。针对高速动车组制动试验测点多、信号类型多、采集车辆多等高速运行条件下如何布置测试设备及信号采集时的数据同步,保存,处理流程等问题和解决方法进行了阐述。     

高速列车用高性能纳米复合弹性结构材料

分析了使用弹性结构材料对高速列车提高安全性、舒适性和降低噪音污染的重要意义,通过对现有橡胶纳米复合材料的成果综述,并结合实际研究结果,阐明了纳米复合技术是实现弹性结构材料高性能化的有效途径之一。     

基于超级电容的并联式混合动力公交车研究

以某混合动力公交车的研发为对象,对其动力传动系的参数进行匹配设计。基于MATLAB／SIMULINK软件平台建立了整车仿真模型．并运用ADVISOR软件对整车动力性和燃油经济性进行了仿真分析。     

兰新高速铁路综合维修天窗设置方式研究

在分析兰新高速铁路的线路、运输组织、车站、接触网、综合维修、供电制式等方面特点的基础上,研究兰新高速铁路综合维修天窗的时间需求,重点确定兰新高速铁路天窗开设方式,建议采用分段矩形天窗。并通过铺画列车运行图,分析兰新高速铁路开设分段矩形天窗对跨线旅客列车终到时间、通过能力、运行调整等方面的影响。按客流区段设置分段矩形天窗可以保证综合维修作业和行车的安全。     

Optimization of headways with stop‐skipping control: a case study of bus rapid transit system

Bus rapid transit system is designed to provide high‐quality and cost‐efficient passenger transportation services. In order to achieve this design objective, effective scheduling strategies are required. This research aims at improving the operation efficiency and service quality of a BRT system through integrated optimization of its service headways and stop‐skipping strategy. Based on cost analysis for both passengers and operation agencies, an optimization model is established. A genetic algorithms based algorithm and an application‐oriented solution method are developed. Beijing BRT Line 2 has been chosen as a case study, and the effectiveness of the optimal headways with stop‐skipping services under different demand levels has been analyzed. The results has shown that, at a certain demand level, the proposed operating strategy can be most advantageous for passengers with an accepted increase of operating costs, under which the optimum headway is between 3.5 and 5.5 min for stop‐skipping services during the morning peak hour depending on the demand with the provision of stop‐skipping services. The effectiveness of the optimal headways with stop‐skipping services is compared with those of existing headways and optimal headways without stop‐skipping services. The results show that operating strategies under the optimal headways with stop‐skipping services outperforms the other two operating strategies with respect to total costs and in‐vehicle time for passengers. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysing queueing at toll plazas using a coupled,multiple-queue,queueing system model: application to toll plaza design

A vehicle approaching a toll plaza observes the queues at each of the available toll-lanes before choosing which to join. This choice process, the arrival process of vehicles and the service characteristics of the toll-booths, affect the queues and delay the drivers. In this paper, queueing at a toll plaza is modelled as a multiple-queue queueing system where the arrival process to a queue (toll-lane) is dependent on the state of all the queues. In the past, such systems have been modelled mathematically only for two queues and are not applicable for toll plazas with three or more toll-lanes. The proposed model determines the steady-state probability density function (pdf) for the queues at large toll plazas. This study is used to determine the number of toll-lanes or the length of the upstream queueing area required to achieve certain user-specified levels-of-service. Expected delay and maximum queue length are used as level-of-service measures. Indicative design charts are also provided.     

A Review of Ex-Post Evidence for Mode Substitution and Induced Demand Following the Introduction of High-Speed Rail

ABSTRACT

To date, relatively little is known about the nature of the demand for high-speed rail (HSR) soon after inauguration of the services, despite close to 50-year experience of HSR operation and 17 166?km of HSR network around the world. This is a real lacuna given the scale of HSR construction around the world, the amount of resources committed to it, the desired accessibility, economic and environmental effects associated with HSR development and the relatively poor track record of forecasting demand for HSR services. Focusing on mode substitution and induced demand effects, this review aims to fill the gap in knowledge about the ex-post demand for HSR services in order to facilitate a learning process for the planning of the future HSR network. Although there is not much evidence on the demand for HSR services and existing evidence is largely influenced by route-specific characteristics, a methodological limitation that must be acknowledged, the evidence presented allows a better characterisation of HSR as a mode of transport. The review shows that the demand for HSR a few years after inauguration is about 10–20% induced demand and the rest is attributed to mode substitution. In terms of mode substitution, in most cases the majority of HSR passengers have used the conventional rail before. Substitution from aircraft, car and coach is generally more modest.     

An improved headway-based holding strategy for bus transit

Abstract

This paper presents an improved headway-based holding strategy integrating bus transit travel and dwelling time prediction. A support vector machine-based (SVM) model is developed to predict the baseline travel and dwell times of buses based on recent data. In order to reduce prediction errors, an adaptive algorithm is used together with real-time bus operational information and estimated baseline times from SVM models. The objective of the improved holding strategy is to minimize the total waiting times of passengers at the current stop and at successive stops. Considering the time-varying features of bus running, a ‘forgetting factor’ is introduced to weight the most recent data and reduce the disturbance from unexpected incidents. Finally, the improved holding strategy proposed in this study is illustrated using the microscopic simulation model Paramics and some conclusions are drawn.     

高职院校高铁乘务专业人才培养探讨

近年来我国高速铁路飞速发展也给高铁乘务工作创造了更多的就职岗位,但是,由于我国高铁乘务专业发展仍处于初级阶段,在乘务专业人才的培养方面也需要不断探索,故而高职院校应当积极以高铁乘务专业人才的培养要求为探索切入点,深切认识到当前人才培养工作中的不足之处,并针对性采取相应的改进措施来推动高铁专业人才培养的健康发展.