SIMULATION ANALYSIS OF A HIGH SPEED GROUND TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

A ground transportation system is considered which includes as its proposed operating charactistics: real-time dispatching of trips according to passenger demand; travel from origin to destination without intermediate stops for the purpose of passenger exchange; travel through a network of links and nodes, with constant-speed travel on each link; minimum headway constraints for each link resulting in capacity limits and possible interference between trips; and the possible coupling of vehicles, for more efficient use of channel capacity and reduced propulsion costs. Quantitative measures of cost and utility are developed as criteria for a comparative analysis of operating policies and design parameters. Overall system utility is postulated as an approximate function of a worst-case level of passenger service and a partonage-weighted mean measure of service level. Cost impacts are characterized in terms of vehicle size and a measure reflecting fleet size and vehicle-hours of operation. An event-ordered simulation model representing the transportation system is described in some detail. It is used together with the cost-utility relationships in determining policies and parameters such as vehicle size, fleet size, dispatching policy and vehicle coupling policy. Some consideration is given also to the design of train formation policies and vehicle inventory control policies. (Author)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored in part by the National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C.
• Corporate Authors:

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02139
• Authors:
  • CRANE, M A
• Publication Date: 1968-9

Media Info

• Pagination: 231 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Headways; High speed rail; Intelligent transportation systems; Networks; Passenger service; Scheduling; Simulation
• Old TRIS Terms: Advanced systems
• Subject Areas: Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00039125
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: 68-20 Thesis
• Contract Numbers: C-136-66
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 24 1972 12:00AM