IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/transa/v166y2022icp354-368.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Modeling the effect of real-time crowding information (RTCI) on passenger distribution in trains

Author

Listed:
  • Peftitsi, Soumela
  • Jenelius, Erik
  • Cats, Oded

Abstract

Overcrowding has become a big challenge for public transport systems, affecting passengers’ travel experience. At the same time, service supply is often underutilized due to large variations in crowding across services, vehicle trips on the same service and different compartments of the same vehicle. Real-time operational measures, such as information provision, can potentially reduce on-board crowding unevenness and its negative effects. In this study, we extend a dynamic public transport simulation model to provide passengers with predictive real-time crowding information (RTCI) concerning individual train cars. Passengers utilize this information when choosing a specific train car to board. It is demonstrated through a case study for the Stockholm metro network area that in the presence of car-specific crowding information, passengers alter their car boarding choices to avoid on-board crowding, leading to a more even passenger distribution inside trains. We find that passengers’ travel experience improves with the provisioning of RTCI, which is a result of the lower on-board crowding unevenness. Moreover, this improvement increases with increased demand levels but only up to a certain point beyond which passengers do not gain from switching train cars.

Suggested Citation

  • Peftitsi, Soumela & Jenelius, Erik & Cats, Oded, 2022. "Modeling the effect of real-time crowding information (RTCI) on passenger distribution in trains," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 354-368.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:166:y:2022:i:c:p:354-368
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2022.10.011
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856422002695
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tra.2022.10.011?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kim, Kyung Min & Hong, Sung-Pil & Ko, Suk-Joon & Kim, Dowon, 2015. "Does crowding affect the path choice of metro passengers?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 292-304.
    2. Alireza Khani & Mark Hickman & Hyunsoo Noh, 2015. "Trip-Based Path Algorithms Using the Transit Network Hierarchy," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 635-653, September.
    3. Schmöcker, Jan-Dirk & Fonzone, Achille & Shimamoto, Hiroshi & Kurauchi, Fumitaka & Bell, Michael G.H., 2011. "Frequency-based transit assignment considering seat capacities," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 392-408, February.
    4. Cepeda, M. & Cominetti, R. & Florian, M., 2006. "A frequency-based assignment model for congested transit networks with strict capacity constraints: characterization and computation of equilibria," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 40(6), pages 437-459, July.
    5. Cats, Oded & West, Jens & Eliasson, Jonas, 2016. "A dynamic stochastic model for evaluating congestion and crowding effects in transit systems," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 43-57.
    6. Sumalee, Agachai & Tan, Zhijia & Lam, William H.K., 2009. "Dynamic stochastic transit assignment with explicit seat allocation model," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 43(8-9), pages 895-912, September.
    7. Kholodov, Yaroslav & Jenelius, Erik & Cats, Oded & van Oort, Niels & Mouter, Niek & Cebecauer, Matej & Vermeulen, Alex, 2021. "Public transport fare elasticities from smartcard data: Evidence from a natural experiment," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 35-43.
    8. Shelat, Sanmay & Cats, Oded & van Cranenburgh, Sander, 2022. "Traveller behaviour in public transport in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 357-371.
    9. Lam, W. H. K. & Gao, Z. Y. & Chan, K. S. & Yang, H., 1999. "A stochastic user equilibrium assignment model for congested transit networks," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 33(5), pages 351-368, June.
    10. Kucharski, Rafał & Gentile, Guido, 2019. "Simulation of rerouting phenomena in Dynamic Traffic Assignment with the Information Comply Model," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 414-441.
    11. Batarce, Marco & Muñoz, Juan Carlos & Ortúzar, Juan de Dios, 2016. "Valuing crowding in public transport: Implications for cost-benefit analysis," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 358-378.
    12. Sanmay Shelat & Thijs van de Wiel & Eric Molin & J W C van Lint & Oded Cats, 2022. "Analysing the impact of COVID-19 risk perceptions on route choice behaviour in train networks," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(3), pages 1-19, March.
    13. Muñoz, Juan Carlos & Soza-Parra, Jaime & Didier, Arturo & Silva, Constanza, 2018. "Alleviating a subway bottleneck through a platform gate," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 446-455.
    14. Sang Nguyen & Stefano Pallottino & Federico Malucelli, 2001. "A Modeling Framework for Passenger Assignment on a Transport Network with Timetables," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 35(3), pages 238-249, August.
    15. Oded Cats & Zafeira Gkioulou, 2017. "Modeling the impacts of public transport reliability and travel information on passengers’ waiting-time uncertainty," EURO Journal on Transportation and Logistics, Springer;EURO - The Association of European Operational Research Societies, vol. 6(3), pages 247-270, September.
    16. Wardman, Mark, 2004. "Public transport values of time," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 363-377, October.
    17. Sanmay Shelat & Oded Cats & Sander van Cranenburgh, 2021. "Traveller behaviour in public transport in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands," Papers 2104.10973, arXiv.org, revised Apr 2022.
    18. Mark Wardman & Gerard Whelan, 2011. "Twenty Years of Rail Crowding Valuation Studies: Evidence and Lessons from British Experience," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(3), pages 379-398.
    19. Hamdouch, Younes & Ho, H.W. & Sumalee, Agachai & Wang, Guodong, 2011. "Schedule-based transit assignment model with vehicle capacity and seat availability," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 45(10), pages 1805-1830.
    20. Cats, Oded, 2013. "Multi-agent transit operations and assignment model," Working papers in Transport Economics 2013:24, CTS - Centre for Transport Studies Stockholm (KTH and VTI).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cats, Oded & West, Jens & Eliasson, Jonas, 2016. "A dynamic stochastic model for evaluating congestion and crowding effects in transit systems," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 43-57.
    2. Hamdouch, Younes & Szeto, W.Y. & Jiang, Y., 2014. "A new schedule-based transit assignment model with travel strategies and supply uncertainties," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 35-67.
    3. Canca, David & Andrade-Pineda, José Luis & De los Santos, Alicia & Calle, Marcos, 2018. "The Railway Rapid Transit frequency setting problem with speed-dependent operation costs," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 117(PA), pages 494-519.
    4. Sun, S. & Szeto, W.Y., 2018. "Logit-based transit assignment: Approach-based formulation and paradox revisit," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 191-215.
    5. Cats, Oded & West, Jens & Eliasson, Jonas, 2015. "Appraisal of increased public transport capacity: the case of a new metro line to Nacka, Sweden," Working papers in Transport Economics 2015:2, CTS - Centre for Transport Studies Stockholm (KTH and VTI).
    6. Hörcher, Daniel & Graham, Daniel J. & Anderson, Richard J., 2017. "Crowding cost estimation with large scale smart card and vehicle location data," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 105-125.
    7. Binder, Stefan & Maknoon, Yousef & Bierlaire, Michel, 2017. "Exogenous priority rules for the capacitated passenger assignment problem," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 19-42.
    8. Yap, Menno & Cats, Oded, 2021. "Taking the path less travelled: Valuation of denied boarding in crowded public transport systems," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 1-13.
    9. Jenelius, Erik, 2018. "Public transport experienced service reliability: Integrating travel time and travel conditions," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 275-291.
    10. Jiang, Y. & Szeto, W.Y., 2016. "Reliability-based stochastic transit assignment: Formulations and capacity paradox," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 93(PA), pages 181-206.
    11. Khani, Alireza, 2019. "An online shortest path algorithm for reliable routing in schedule-based transit networks considering transfer failure probability," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 549-564.
    12. S. Mahmassani, Hani & F. Hyland, Michael, 2016. "Gap-based transit assignment algorithm with vehicle capacity constraints: Simulation-based implementation and large-scale applicationAuthor-Name: Verbas, Ömer," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 93(PA), pages 1-16.
    13. Codina, Esteve & Rosell, Francisca, 2017. "A heuristic method for a congested capacitated transit assignment model with strategies," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 293-320.
    14. Szeto, W.Y. & Jiang, Y., 2014. "Transit route and frequency design: Bi-level modeling and hybrid artificial bee colony algorithm approach," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 235-263.
    15. Soza-Parra, Jaime & Raveau, Sebastián & Muñoz, Juan Carlos & Cats, Oded, 2019. "The underlying effect of public transport reliability on users’ satisfaction," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 83-93.
    16. Du, Muqing & Chen, Anthony, 2022. "Sensitivity analysis for transit equilibrium assignment and applications to uncertainty analysis," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 175-202.
    17. Hörcher, Daniel & Tirachini, Alejandro, 2021. "A review of public transport economics," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 25(C).
    18. Trozzi, Valentina & Gentile, Guido & Bell, Michael G.H. & Kaparias, Ioannis, 2013. "Dynamic user equilibrium in public transport networks with passenger congestion and hyperpaths," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 266-285.
    19. de Palma, André & Kilani, Moez & Proost, Stef, 2015. "Discomfort in mass transit and its implication for scheduling and pricing," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 1-18.
    20. Yu, Chao & Li, Haiying & Xu, Xinyue & Liu, Jun, 2020. "Data-driven approach for solving the route choice problem with traveling backward behavior in congested metro systems," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:166:y:2022:i:c:p:354-368. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/547/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.