Evaluation of Facility Improvement for Turn-back Operations from a Passenger Service Viewpoint

Abstract

When an operational disruption occurs, it is often the case that all trains on that line are suspended. This may significantly decrease services available to passengers, because even passengers who need not go through blocked sections are forced to wait until the cause of the suspension is removed. Deploying additional turn-back facilities and providing shuttle services can localize the negative effect of such disruptions. This research establishes a method for estimating the effectiveness of turn-back facilities from a passenger viewpoint. A series of case studies were compiled, which included experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of additional turn-back services.