Train Rescheduling Evaluation from the Viewpoint of Passengers by Microsimulation of Train Operation and Passenger Flow

Abstract

When an operational disturbance occurs, the timetable is rescheduled to recover ordinary transportation services. It is difficult for train operating companies to make appropriate rescheduling plans, because they have to predict the passenger flow in detail, which is a complicated undertaking, and consider their convenience under timetable disruption.
In this study, we first reestablish train operation and passenger flow simulator to estimate under the condition of timetable disruption. With a modified simulator, we can estimate passengers' detour behavior, or express differences in behavior with or without information about rescheduling. We also propose an evaluation method for rescheduling alternatives with the estimated transportation services under disruption.
We applied the modified simulator to an actual commuter line in Japan, and compared the two rescheduling plans under an imaginary disruption scenario. From the results, we conclude that the proposed method is useful for evaluating rescheduling alternatives.