CVL746 – PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

Dr. Manoj M
Contents

Basic Operating Elements

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 Line, Route and Network

o Line : Infrastructure and service provided on a fixed alignment by

vehicles or trains operating on a pre-determined schedule.

o Route: Synonymous with line; Street transit – overlapping lines

(e.g., Buses)

o Network: A set of transit lines that connect with or cross each other
– coordinated for efficient operation and provision of integrated
services in an area

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 Line, Route and Network

o Line Length : one way distance b/n two terminals along the
alignment.

o Network Length: Total length of all alignments served by one or

more lines

o Total line or route length: Sum of all line lengths, regardless of

whether they operate alone or overlap with other lines.

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 Line, Route and Network

Assuming that each spacing between stations is 1 km long, The values in the network are:

Line lengths: LAC = 6km, LAD = 5km, LEF = 7km

Network length: LAC + LBD + LEF = 15km
Total line or route length: LAC + LAD + LEF = 18km

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 Right-of-way (ROW; R/W)

o Transit right-of-way: is the strip of land on which a transit line

operates – facility used by transit vehicles.

o Based on the degree of separation from other traffic:

➢ C – street transit; pavement markings

➢ B – longitudinally physically separated
➢ A – fully controlled without grade crossings

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 Stops/Stations/Transfer Stations

o Stop : location along a transit line at which transit vehicles stop to

pick up or drop-off passengers – bench, shelter, etc.

o Transit Station: boarding, alighting, waiting and transfer.

o Transfer Stations: Joint stations for two or more lines

o Terminals: End stations on a transit line

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 Vehicles/ Transit Units/Fleet Size

o Transit Unit (Tu): A set of n vehicles (train consist) travelling

physically coupled together.

o Frequency f = Tu/h; no. of vehicles / hr = n.f

o Fleet size is the total number of vehicles needed for operation of a

line, or of an entire network
Nf = N + Nr + Nm

o Fleet utilization Coefficient = N + Nr / Nf

o Represents utilization of a fleet

o What is the fleet size of BMTC? DTC? DMRCL?

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 Flow and Volume

o Demand for travel – no of passenger travelling past a fixed

point in one direction per unit time.

o Flow (prs/time) or volume prs/hr

o Flow – continuous process of travel
o Volume – no. of passengers travelling during a specified time
interval (/hr)

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 Flow and Volume

Figure 1.2: Passenger boarding, alighting, and volume along an idealized transit line:
a) Boarding and alighting distribution; b) cumulative functions of boarding and alighting;
c) Passenger volume profile
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Flow and Volume

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 Basic Operating Elements

(Max.frequency = line capacity)

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 Headway and frequency

o Headway : (h) the time interval between the moments two

successive TU pass a fixed point on transit line in the same
direction.
o Minutes (scheduling) ; seconds (capacity analysis)

❖ Passenger – short headways; operator – small no. of Large TU

❖ Headways are determined as a compromise between passenger

travel time, convenience and cost of operation

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 Headway and frequency

o Uniform Headway: for stable passenger demand – maximum

schedule stability; most attractive for passengers.

o Clock Headway: When headways are longer than 6 mins; use

values divisible into 60 (7.5, 10, 12, 15, 20…) ; same minutes in
each stop; easy to remember.

o Policy Headway: The longest headway scheduled for a line –

based on minimum level-of-service

o Minimum headway on a line: physical characteristics of the system

& station operations
➢ Max (way headway, station headway)

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 Frequency

o Frequency (f): The no. of TUs passing a point on a transit line in

one direction per hour

f = 60/h (TU/hr)

o If headway is 10 mins; frequency??

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 Capacity

Maximum ability to perform under prevailing conditions

o Vehicle capacity (spaces/veh)

o Transit line capacity (spaces/hr)
❑ Offered capacity

o The maximum number of passengers (flow of passengers/hour)

actually transported – demand or utilized capacity (prs/hr)

𝑈𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦
Load factor, ∝ = [prs/spaces]
𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦
o Capacity utilization coefficient

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 Vehicle Capacity

Maximum no. of spaces a vehicle/TU can accommodate (𝐶𝑣 )

o Seats plus standing spaces

o Seats only definition
o Ration of seats to standing spaces

❑ Average no. passengers/vehicle – taxis, para-transit

𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝐶𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝐶𝑇𝑈 = 𝑛 × 𝐶𝑣

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 Vehicle Capacity

Density of Area per Standee Standing passengers’ condition

persons
prs/m2 m2/prs ft2/prs
<1 >1.00 >10.8 Independent standing, easy circulation
2-3 Some body contacts, circulation disturbing
0.50-0.33 5.4-3.6
others
4 0.25 2.7 Extensive body contacts, difficult movements
5 Pressed standing, extremely difficult
0.20 2.2
movements.
6-7 Crush loads, possible injuries, forced
0.15 1.6
movements.
Area conversion: m2 = 10.76 ft2
 Line Capacity

Maximum no. of spaces that can be transported past a fixed point in

one direction per hour (offered) (/hr)

o Transit units per hour – the maximum frequency that can be

physically achieved on a line under given condition (𝑓𝑚𝑎𝑥 )

o Vehicle/hr or vehicle line capacity (c) – the maximum no. of vehicles

that can pass a fixed point in one direction per hour (𝑐 = 𝑛 × 𝑓𝑚𝑎𝑥 )

o Spaces/hr (line capacity, C) – it represents the actual capacity

offered to passengers in spaces transported past a fixed point in one
direction / hr. [𝐶 = 𝐶𝑣 × 𝑐 = 𝐶𝑣 × 𝑛 × 𝑓𝑚𝑎𝑥 ]

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 Scheduled Line Capacity

The no. of spaces transported past a fixed point in one direction per
hour under a given operating schedule (Co ).

o Ratios of scheduled to absolute capacities of a line represent

utilization coefficients for that line
𝑓
𝛿𝑓 =
𝑓𝑚𝑎𝑥
𝑛.𝑓
𝛿𝑣 =
𝑐
𝐶𝑜
𝛿𝑐 =
𝐶

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 Transportation Work

Transportation work performed on a transit line represents its output or

quantity of offered or utilized service (w).

o The offered work, 𝑤𝑜 = 𝐶. 𝐿 = 𝑛. 𝑓. 𝐶𝑣 . 𝐿 (space-km/hr)

o Passenger km travelled on the line represent utilized work (/hr)

𝑤𝑝 = ෍ 𝑝𝑖 . 𝑆𝑖
𝑖
−
σ𝑖 𝑝𝑖 . 𝑆𝑖
𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡, 𝛼 =
𝐶. 𝐿

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Elements

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 Find the MLS for this line

Station 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Boarding 3300 1700 1900 3200 2900 1300 1600 600 400 700 0
(prs/hr)
Alighting 0 0 500 700 2100 700 4000 2700 2200 1700 3000
(prs/hr)

20000
17600 17600
18000 16500 16900
15900
16000 14300 14600
14000 13000 12900

12000 10700
10100
10000
8000
8000 6900

6000 5000
4000
3300 3300
4000
1200
2000 500
0 0
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

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 Travel Times

The durations of individual time intervals in transit system operation or

passenger travel (mins.)

o Running time (𝑡𝑟 ) - time interval between a TU’s starting from one
station and stopping at the next one – net travel time b/n stations

o Station standing time (dwell) (𝑡𝑠 ) – the duration of a TU’s standing at

station for the purpose of boarding and alighting of passengers

o Station-to-station travel time ( 𝑇𝑠 )- the time interval b/n a TU’s

departure from two adjacent stations
𝑇𝑠𝑖 = 𝑡𝑟𝑖 + 𝑡𝑠𝑖

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 Travel Times

o Operating (or travel) time (𝑇𝑜 ) – the scheduled time interval between
departure of a TU from one terminal and arriving at the other on the
line

𝑇𝑜 = σ𝑖 𝑇𝑠𝑖 = σ𝑖(𝑡𝑟𝑖 +𝑡𝑠𝑖 )

o Terminal time (𝑡𝑡 ) – the time a TU spends at a line terminal.

𝑡𝑡′ + 𝑡𝑡"
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑇𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒, 𝛾 = × 100%
2𝑇𝑜

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 Travel Times

o Cycle time (T) – Total round trip time – the interval b/n the two
consecutive times a transit unit in regular service leaves the same
terminal.
𝑇 = 𝑇𝑜′ + 𝑇𝑜′′ + 𝑡𝑡′ + 𝑡𝑡′′ = 2(𝑇𝑂 + 𝑡𝑡 )
𝑡𝑡′ + 𝑡𝑡"
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑇𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒, 𝛾′ = × 100%
𝑇

o Deadhead time (td ) – the portion of TU travel time during the TU is

not in passenger service

o Platform time (𝑇𝑝 ) – the total time during which a TU is in operation

𝑇𝑝 = 𝐾𝑇 + 2𝑡𝑑
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Travel Times

Figure 1.6: Travel times and speeds on a transit line

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 Passenger Travel Times

o Access Time (𝑡𝑎 ) – time required for approach to a transit stop or

departure from a stop to his destination.
o Waiting Time (𝑡𝑤 ) – the time b/n the passenger arrival at a stop and
the time of TU departure.
o On-line travel time (𝑡𝑜 ) – the duration of passenger travel in a TU for
a given trip.
o Transfer time (𝑡𝑓 ) – the time used for transferring between different
lines or modes – interval b/n alighting and boarding TUs.

o Origin-Destination travel time (𝑇𝑜𝑑 ) – the total travel time from origin
to destination

𝑇𝑜𝑑 = 𝑡𝑎 + 𝑡𝑤 + 𝑡𝑜 + 𝑡𝑓

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Passenger Travel Times
 Speed

Category Speed Designation Symbol Corresponding

Travel time
Vehicle speed 1. Actual vehicle V, v -
2. Maximum Vmax -
technical
Alignment speeds 3. Line design Vd -
4. Legal Vl -
5. Programmed Vg -
Vehicle-on-line- 6. Running Vr tr
speeds
7. Station-to-station Vs Ts
8. Operating Vo To
9. Cycle Vc T
10. Platform Vp Tp

Passenger speeds 11. Access Va ta

12. Travel on line Vo To
13. Origin- Vod Tod
destination
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 Vehicle Speed

o Maximum Technical Speed: Highest speed; physically capable of

achieving – straight horizontal way, normal weather conditions;
when maximum power is applied and acceleration is gradually
ceased.

o Desirable for better performance of a system

o Limited by station spacing, traffic conditions, etc.

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 Alignment Speed

Design and operation of transit lines

o Line Design Speed: the maximum speed transit vehicle can achieve
on a given section of line – adequate comfort, safety, etc.

o Can vary among line sections, directions – geometry, grade etc.

S i
L
Vd = i
=
Si Si
i V i V
i i

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 Legal Speed

Maximum speed transit vehicles can legally operate on a given section

of line

o Various limitations (design speed, traffic conditions, etc.).

o Can be equal to or less than design speed
o Less permanent – day and night, traffic conditions, etc.

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 Programmed Speed

The speed transit vehicles can operate meeting given standards of

safety, comfort, economy, and vehicle performance.

Vg  Vl  Vd

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 Vehicle on-line Speed

❑ Actual speed achieved on transit lines – traffic conditions, stops and

vehicle and alignment speeds.

❑ Running speed: the average speed TU achieve from leaving one

station to arriving at the next one.
❑ Varies across spacing
60 Si
Vri =
tsi
❑ Station-to-station speed – the average speed of travel between
moments a TU leaves two adjacent stations
❑ Speed for the basic module of travel along a line – movement
along one station spacing
60 Si
Vsi =
tri + tsi

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 Vehicle on-line Speed

❑ Operating Speed – the average speed of TU travel along transit line

with ‘j’ spacing
j
❑ Important for operator; influence cost 60. Si
60 L 120 L
Vc = i
= = '
j
T0 + T0 ''
T
T0
si
i
❑ Cycle Speed – the average speed of a TU for a complete round trip
on a line
60.2 L 120 L
Vc = =
T T

❑ Platform speed – the average speed of TUs operating on a line from

the moment they leave depot until they return to it.
120( K .L + Ld ) 60 L p
Vc = =
( K .T + 2td ) Tp

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 Passenger Speed

❑ Access Speed – Avg. Speed of passenger travel to and from transit

stations – access distance/ access time
o 4-5km/hr (walking) – 30-50 km/hr

o Same trip may have different access speeds

o Important for station spacing, network layout planning

❑ Travel speed on line: operating speed on the line section that a

passenger utilizes

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 Passenger Speed

❑ Origin Destination Speed – Avg. Speed of passenger travel along

his/her path from origin to destination, including access, waiting,
online-travel, and transfers.

60 Sod
Vod =
Tod

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