A two-stage stochastic optimization model for the transfer activity choice in metro networks

This research focuses on finding the best transfer schemes in metro networks. Using sample-based time-invariant link travel times to capture the uncertainty of a realistic network, a two-stage stochastic integer programming model with the minimized expected travel time and penalty value incurred by transfer activities is formulated. The first stage aims to find a sequence of potential transfer nodes (stations) that can compose a feasible path from origins to destinations in the transfer activity network, and the second stage provides the least time paths passing by the generated transfer stations in the first stage for evaluating the given transfer schemes and then outputs the best routing information. To solve our proposed model, an efficient hybrid algorithm, in which the label correcting algorithm is embedded into a branch and bound searching framework, is presented to find the optimal solutions of the considered problem. Finally, the numerical experiments are implemented in different scales of metro networks. The computational results demonstrate the effectiveness and performance of the proposed approaches even for the large-scale Beijing metro network.