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A novel method for assessing the seismic resilience of railway stations is introduced. With this method, a railway station is divided into five constituent systems. The structural components, nonstructural components, and especially professional equipment that affect the functions in each system are identified and analyzed. Significantly, a new calculation method for seismic resilience indices, encompassing repair cost, repair time, casualties, and resilience grade, is proposed. Additionally, the complete seismic resilience assessment process is outlined. Furthermore, a case study was conducted on a typical railway station in China to demonstrate the application of this new seismic resilience assessment method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In densely populated cities, the increasing popularity of railways and urban rail transit interchange hubs has led to the extensive use of land resources and raised concerns about the environment, especially the inevitable noise and vibration impact. This study aims to identify the propagation patterns of roof structure vibrations in railway complexes through experimental research, with the premise of maintaining normal train operation and safety, in order to lay a foundation for developing vibration mitigation strategies and optimizing functional layout. The results found that the train-induced vibrations are strongest at track level, but decrease as they move vertically and horizontally. Vibrations from passing trains are most noticeable within a single floor slab and beams, with minimal transmission at the base of columns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research seeks to outline a common ground between the notions of urban aesthetics and inclusive planning by taking Siliguri Town station and its adjacent market as the cases. This article attempts to redirect the study of urban geography of Siliguri city away from macro-level analysis of space, which sometimes generates crude generalized discussions about the spatial development of urban landscapes, on the side of a more vigorous contemplation and critical consideration on the scope of micro-level planning alternatives for the city. Toward this objective, the research methodology is grounded on the analysis of historical databases, intensive field observation, and qualitative interviews. Through ten in-depth semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders including local body representatives, railway officials, planners, investors, as well as civil society organizations in Siliguri City, this study seeks to emphasize the factors that stakeholders in the city consider to be essential for the micro-scale development of Siliguri Town station neighborhood and its long-term effects on a number of actors. Findings from the interviews indicate that Siliguri Town station and its neighboring markets, such as Mahabirsthan and Hawkers' Corner, are continuously growing as the places of urban contestation and struggle. To critically address these contestations, the research argues for the resurgence of Siliguri Town station neighborhood as the key urban territorial form for collaboration among central, state, and local government authorities as well as private players. The principal outcomes of this research, therefore, are expected to provide some micro-level planning alternatives, which can pave the path for an inclusive and planned production of urban space around Siliguri Town railway station, representing the heart of Siliguri city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safety situation of railway stations is facing great challenges due to the characteristics of huge transport task load, fast operation speed and larger station scale. Based on this, this paper proposes a decision-making method for safety risk factors of high-speed railway stations, which combines fuzzy fault tree (FFTA) and Bayesian network (BN) algorithms. Firstly, the basic risk factors and events of each subsystem of high-speed railway station in the actual construction and operation process are statistically analyzed and modeled, and a total of 22 basic events affecting the safe operation of railway stations are determined. Secondly, the limitation of data collection is overcome by means of expert experience evaluation, scoring and fuzzy rough set theory. Then, the fusion structure of fault tree analysis and Bayesian network algorithm is used to overcome the shortcomings of single algorithm in data processing ability and accuracy, effectively and accurately reveal the logic and probability relationship between safety risk factors, and four basic events such as the lack of technical means to master the station resource status and operation progress are identified as the main influencing factors. Finally, through sensitivity analysis, the risk reduction value importance (RRW) indicators of 22 basic events that affect the safety of high-speed railway station construction and operation are obtained. The results show that the RRW of the 4 main influencing factors are all greater than 15%, which verifies the correctness of the results obtained by FFTA and BN. The proposed decision-making method for safety risk factors of high-speed railway stations can realize accurate positioning and decision-making of key indicators and corresponding probabilities affecting the safety of high-speed railway stations, thus providing effective reference for ensuring the safe operation of high-speed railway stations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The station–city integration development strategy, guided by the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) model, has enhanced the coupling relationship between rail transit stations and urban areas. Walking, as a core mode of low-carbon urban transport, plays a significant role in the connectivity between stations and urban areas and in the rate of passenger flow dispersal. During peak periods, large volumes of passengers flood the streets, forming complex and diverse walking paths that penetrate urban neighborhoods. Route choice is a complex decision-making process influenced by both subjective and objective factors. Previous studies on pathfinding activities have often focused on either subjective or objective factors in isolation, with limited research on their interaction. This paper establishes a comparative analysis framework based on the translation of subjective and objective information and behavioral feedback mechanisms. Using Lvcuo Station, a transit station on Xiamen's Metro Line 1 in Fujian Province, China, as a case study, we collected walking data from 410 passengers through field surveys. We used the Kappa consistency coefficient test method to analyze the performance of the interaction between the objective environment and subjective environmental cognitive factors when pedestrians exit the rail transit station and walk to their destinations. We also used multinomial logistic regression (MLR) to analyze the correlation between subjective perception variables and objective built environment variables and to consider the influence of individual pedestrian characteristics and attributes on path selection. The results revealed the following: (1) Overall, there is a significant deviation effect of subjective and objective factors on passengers' pathfinding behavior, with some spatial correlation with the built environment of the streets. (2) The consistency of influences on walking activities varies significantly across different travel periods, distances, and purposes. (3) Visual elements, urban life with a bustling atmosphere, street permeability, and route connectivity positively correlate with subjective perception while "supporting walking facilities" and "meeting consumption needs along the way" negatively correlate with subjective perception. These findings underscore the need to enhance the understanding of the built environment in the street spaces within rail transit station areas from the perspectives of pedestrians to improve the walkability of these streets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stuttgart's main station is being completely revised and remodeled as part of the Stuttgart Ulm railway project. The old terminus station is being replaced by an underground through station. The chalice supports are a major design feature of the new platform hall. This article describes how they were designed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a preliminary study of a 25 kV–50 Hz railway substation power supply system. The control of a back-to-back converter based on modular multilevel converter (MMC) technology was investigated to fit with the power quality requirements of the application. One of the main challenges is the presence of constraining load conditions, under which the train circulation variability, low-frequency harmonics and critical power transients can notably decrease the power quality and lead to instability. In order to address this, cascaded controllers based on resonant controllers are proposed to ensure the desired performance. Furthermore, balancing voltage algorithms are added to avoid stress phenomena and additional losses in the studied power conversion interface. The paper presents the design of the control stages and demonstrates the robust performance of the system using a realistic loading condition of a railway substation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An environmentally conscious architectural design of a railway station can have a substantial influence on government spending. Nevertheless, an extensive collection of guidelines for using sustainable design principles in the construction of a railway station can provide several advantages. The goal is to review design visions for railway stations in Thailand, as reflected in student theses and government proposals, from 1983 to 2022 for sustainable design aspects in tropical climates. We perform an analysis of architectural design aspects including service areas, shape, entrances, roofing, style, and development in order to uncover design trends and possible areas that may be enhanced. Station designs are mostly characterized by curved and gable roofs, with 3D curved buildings being the next most common feature. High speed rail (HSR) stations stress local cultural elements in their major entrances while also improving passenger flow. Public buildings frequently employ curved or gabled porticos to achieve a majestic look. Although university theses place a high importance on conceptual design and functionality, it is essential to also consider cost-effectiveness. Key design considerations for future railway stations are transparency, connection, efficient mobility, and cost–time efficiency. The research uncovers deficiencies in user-centered design for thermal comfort and inclusiveness (design-for-all) in Thailand's tropical environment. Addressing these aspects is critical for future sustainable railway station design evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decision-making problem of station location scheme is an important part of the overall planning scheme of railway lines. The tourism-oriented railway station location problem is to complete the station location on the basis of giving priority to tourism demand. Based on the characteristics of tourism orientation, this paper analyses the influencing factors of railway station location and establishes the corresponding decision-making index system of location scheme. Aiming at the characteristics of station location problem as a multi-objective attribute decision problem, considering that prospect theory can effectively deal with the psychological expectation factors of decision makers, a new decision-making method that can deal with qualitative and quantitative indices is proposed by combining vague theory which is quite effective in dealing with fuzzy problems. Taking the decision-making of railway station location scheme as an example, the decision-making method is calculated and verified. Through verification, it can be found that the proposed comprehensive decision-making method is effective and practical, and the proposed method can provide decision support for tourism-oriented railway station location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to make full use of energy consumption monitoring, BAS, intelligent lighting and other systems related to energy management in the station, and establish a resource sharing energy management system platform, this paper studies the integration scheme of energy management system. Firstly, the functional requirements of the whole system are analyzed. Then it discusses the establishment of standardized energy consumption model and energy consumption KPI index system of the railway station, which provides the basis for the design of integrated platform metering system. On this basis, the overall architecture of the energy management system is given, and the integration scheme is designed according to this architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, mobility represents the main productive process: this means that territorial sustainability must necessarily include sustainable movements as a key component. The increase in transport entity and transport routes, economic convenience, and, last but not least, a higher environmental awareness, are leading to higher consideration of the use of railways. In this framework, railway stations represent complex objects requiring significant material flows, which make up their ecological footprint. In this sense, a railway station is the last industrial plant to be accepted in contemporary cities. The last 2 years of pandemics have amplified both the need for tangible sustainability and the demand for active mobility-friendly cities. Discussing the sustainability of a station involves examining and measuring its ecological footprint, to provide active support to the targeted planning and design of mitigation measures. Their impact and effectiveness are certainly amplified by the natural central role of the railway stations. And what if the pursuit of sustainability for the railway stations could be intertwined with the search for quality collective spaces? The answer is positive. The proposed algorithm allows shifting from a qualitative view (so to say, measured on a flat-rate basis), to a quantitative view of the possible improvement actions on the operation and maintenance processes of railway stations. Moreover, through minor adaptations, it could also be applied to industrial or residential processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the nineteenth century, the impact of railways on urbanization was significant, despite initial predictions that its role would be limited to transportation. The presence of a railway station had impacted the urban fabric of Lahore during the colonial rule. It was the first purpose-built building by the British and it started the new era of urban expansion. Eventually, railway development turned out to be the fourth major settlement of Lahore. The objective of this paper is to highlight the contribution of railways in shaping the form and growth of Lahore. The methodology employed for this study consisted of collecting both primary and secondary data, followed by a comparative analysis of the urban context of pre-colonial Lahore and its development post the introduction of railways in the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Railway Standard Design is the property of Railway Standard Design Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Pasos: Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural is the property of Universidad de La Laguna, Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Politicas y Sociales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Over the past few years, Rabat has been undergoing a double-process of modernisation and transformation into a heritage site. Its central railway station, which is currently being transformed into a large interchange hub, reflects the city's aspiration to become a global metropolis. Previously, this place functioned as an urban magnet where people also came to stroll and socialise. The article explores how the refurbishment is affecting its functional and symbolic uses. Official sources promise that the renewed infrastructure will be a great new 'milieu de vie', a notion that summons up a vision of togetherness and an aspiration to metropolitan high life. But will the future project still welcome everyone and every type of sociality? Structured as a before-and-after comparison, the article describes ethnographic observations conducted at the station's successive entrances. It shows that the new entrance layout may make the infrastructure more functional, but that it offers less opportunity for social activities. Causal interpretations concerning the role of design in facilitating or preventing social practices are proposed. The article concludes that the capacity of transit infrastructures to become a 'common' place depends on the connection between physical features and cultural skills. Since Rabat Central Station has become an arena of conflict between tradition and modernity, the paper's contribution aims to reposition the controversy within a broader perspective, which connects the architectural and social dimensions of a local culture of transit (im)mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution from transport hubs is a recognised health concern for local urban inhabitants. Within the domain of transport hubs, significant attention has been given to larger airport and port settings, however concerns have been raised about emissions from urban railway hubs, especially those with diesel trains. This paper presents an approach that adopts low-cost monitoring (LCM) for fixed site monitoring (FSM) to quantify and disaggregate PM 2.5 and NO 2 contributions from railway station and road traffic on air quality in the vicinity of railway station in Dublin, Ireland. The NO 2 sensor showed larger discrepancies than the PM 2.5 sensor when compared to the reference monitor. Machine learning models (XGBoost and Random Forest (RF) regression) were applied to calibrate the LCM devices, with the XGBoost model (NO 2, R2 = 0.8 and RSME = 9.1 μg/m3 & PM 2.5 , R2 = 0.92 and RSME = 2.2 μg/m3) deemed more appropriate than the RF model. Local wind conditions, pressure, PM 2.5 concentrations, and road traffic significantly impacted NO 2 model results, while raw PM 2.5 sensor readings greatly influenced the PM 2.5 model output. This highlights that the NO 2 sensor requires more input data for accurate calibration, unlike the PM 2.5 sensor. The monitoring results from the one-month monitoring campaign from May 25, 2023 to June 25, 2023 presented elevated NO 2 and PM 2.5 concentrations measured at the railway station, which translated to exceedances of the annual WHO limits (PM 2.5 = 5 μg/m3, NO 2 = 10 μg/m3) by 1.6–1.8 and 3.2–5.2 times respectively at the study site. A subsequent data filtering technique based on wind orientation, revealed that the railway station was the main PM 2.5 source and road traffic was the main NO 2 source when winds come from the railway station. This study highlights the value of LCM devices alongside robust machine learning techniques to capture air quality in urban settings. [Display omitted] • XGBoost model deemed more appropriate than the RF model for calibrating LCM devices. • NO 2 sensor required more input variables for accurate calibration than PM 2.5 sensor. • PM 2.5 and NO 2 levels exceeded annual WHO limits in the vicinity of the railway hub. • Upwind background was a primary source of NO 2 and PM 2.5 in the railway hub vicinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the influence of the canopy span, canopy opening width and waiting hall building height on the loads and equivalent static wind loads (ESWL) of the waiting hall building. The results show both the mean and standard deviation wind pressure coefficients at the roof of waiting hall buildings are affected by the interference effects caused by the upstream canopies. The wind-induced response of the waiting hall building roof is usually dominated by the first vibration mode, 0∘, 90∘ and 180∘ are the three adverse wind directions. Based on the wind tunnel tests, parameters of the fitted spectrum of the first modal generalized wind pressure for waiting hall buildings are obtained at the adverse wind directions. The semi-analytical expressions of equivalent static wind loads (ESWL) on waiting hall building roofs are derived using the first modal inertial force as a function of the structural reduced frequency. The good accuracy of the proposed ESWL is verified by comparing the nodal displacements and member stresses calculated by the proposed method to the actual dynamic peak results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A qualitative evaluation was performed by comprehensively considering the lighting environment of each staircase of 20 railway stations in Tokyo, the width of the stairs, the type of ceiling, wall lighting fixtures, and the color. As a result of the quantitative evaluation of 20 stairs, it was found that a difference of up to 400 lx occurred in the measurement results of the entrance, exit, and middle landing, even for the same stairs. As a result of qualitative evaluation, it was found that the quantitative evaluation result and the simple proportional relationship were not established. It was found that simply physically brightening a space cannot make a comfortable and safe space, and in some cases, glare is likely to occur. As a result of the analysis of variance and correlation analysis, it was found that the characteristics of the space, especially the material of the wall and the location of the lighting equipment, had a large effect on the impression of the space. As a result of simulation analysis, it was found that the performance varied greatly depending on the installation location of the lighting. In particular, the method of installing the line light source close to the ground was effective. In designing stair lighting for public facilities in the future, it is considered that qualitative factors such as the finishing of walls and ceilings, installation positions, and angles of lighting fixtures, which are environmental components other than lighting, should also be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elbbruecken train stations in Hamburg The Elbbruecken train stations form an important infrastructure hub connecting the eastern part of Hamburg's HafenCity (harbor redevelopment area) with the city center. Due to their immediate proximity to the Freihafen bridges, the design takes up their distinctive steel arches and reinterprets them in a new and contemporary manner. Both stationś roofs are glazed steel frames forming semi‐circular vaults – one more or less circular in cross‐section, the other shallower. A skywalk takes passengers changing trains from one station to the other; this, too, is a steel structure, prefabricated in the workshop and lifted into place in several segments. The steel components were manufactured in the Hanover workshop of SEH Engineering GmbH, where individual templates were created as customized product for both hall roofs. Also, a trial assembly was realized in the Hanover plant in each case to check the accuracy of the junctionś fit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regarding punctuality and highly safe mode lead, rail transports become popular. Currently, in several countries traveling by train has been widely employed, resulting in the development in various aspects and motivating people to use more rail transports. Despite a long train service operation in Thailand, the number of passengers continually and evidently decreased every year. The aforementioned issue may be caused by insufficient improvement and development of railway stations. Therefore, the factors that potentially influence railway stations' service perception should be refined in order to provide effective strategies and policies to increase rail transport's passengers. In this study, 370 trains users with 18 indicators were collected to seek insight into the factors that influenced service quality perception. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were applied in this study. The finding reveals that indicators are classified into 3 factors, namely, Service, Safety and Facilities, and Information factor. These 3 factors had an ability to significantly measure service quality perception toward railway stations. In addition, safety and facilities were found as the major factor affecting service quality perception with ß=0.988. The findings may be used as a potential guideline for attracting passengers' demand, developing strategies and policies to build better service quality including facilities lead to enhance the good image of railway stations in Thailand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The object of research is the processes of automation of the technical and operational assessment of railway stations (RWS). Research solves the problem of developing models, methods and information technologies to automate the process of technical and operational assessment of the work of RWS. As a result of the study, the following results were obtained: Analysis of scientific papers on the problem of automating the work of RWS. Development of new method and mathematical models to automate the task. Development of new descriptions for the technological processes (TechP) of the RWS based on visual programming methods. Development of simulation models for the automation of railway infrastructure management task. The UML diagrams of state and activity have been adapted in order to represent the RWS operation technology. When formalizing the description of the RWS, the state diagrams are submitted taking into account the specifics of the description of the change in the phases of servicing objects in the process of TechP of individual objects maintenance. It is shown that the state diagram for the RWS is a state machine (SM) that models the sequence of changing the states of an object. The detalization of the behavior of objects serviced at the RWS has been completed. Detalization is performed using diagrams of activity. The diagrams of activity are used to formally describe the technical support with objects and executors of work on the railway. The scientific results obtained in the article, as well as new and improved models and methods, can be used in the development, improvement and formalization of the TechP of the RWS, research methods for informatization and automation objects on the railways of the Republic of Kazakhstan [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a revival associated with an increase in the number of modernised and renovated station facilities. Their great value as multifunctional facilities is also being rediscovered. Therefore the aim of the research was to determine the transformations of stations in public space based on the examples of such facilities located in Kielce. Main attention was placed on architectural, spatial and functional transformations. The study covered the bus station modernised in 2020, as well as the railway station which is currently under modernisation. As shown in these examples, the main role of the stations – despite the use of modern refurbishment concepts – has been retained. The bus station is integrated into the city landscape by preserving the original and unique spatial composition and silhouette of the building. The resulting spatial arrangement strengthens the importance and potential of public functions, as well as utility values for travelers and city residents. The modernisation of the Kielce railway station is heading in a similar direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The S‐Bahn crossing in Stuttgart's new S21 underground station – an underground transport structure with very special requirements The competition for the new construction of Stuttgart's main railway station was decided in 1997 – but for various reasons it took more than ten years until realisation could actually begin in February 2010. Now that the preparatory foundation work has been completed, the daily progress of construction is particularly visible through the rising load‐bearing structures. An important part of the work so far has been the construction of the S‐Bahn crossing, which is particularly demanding in terms of structural planning. This article describes the special features of this supporting structure from the point of view of the engineers involved. In addition to the construction with its internal bondless prestressing, the design concept that goes beyond the normative requirements and the constant monitoring of the structure over its entire period of use are also considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Railway Standard Design is the property of Railway Standard Design Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Xiong'an Railway Station is the first super-large elevated railway station located in a high seismic intensity zone. A reinforced concrete frame structural system is adopted for the rail-bearing floor and the lower floors, while a steel structural system is adopted for the large-span roof. H-shaped steel frame beams are adopted for the elevated waiting hall, while double flange H-shaped steel beams are adopted in areas subject to great forces. Plane trusses are arranged bidirectionally between the frame beams to facilitate the laying and maintenance of equipment pipelines. The main span of the elevated waiting hall is 78 m, and variable-height box beams are adopted. The platform canopies are supported by specially shaped steel pipe columns, and the roof frame beams are connected to the tops of columns through spherical bearings. Structural innovations have been carried out in terms of semi-embedded column bases, stepped wall thickness steel pipe columns with special section shapes, large-span stiffened thin-walled box beams, and bidirectional large displacement bearings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Railway Standard Design is the property of Railway Standard Design Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ensuring the high accessibility of railway stops and stations is essential to effective transport systems in urban areas. There are different ways to analyze accessibility at the station level. In this paper, it has been assumed that railway stops and stations should be located in places with significant demand for passenger rail transport characterized by a highly dense and diversity-rich land use structure. Therefore, the presented classification uses data on the built environment in the surroundings of these elements of the railway infrastructure, with particular attention to the type of each building. The analysis was performed for the Metropolis GZM area. Based on the gathered spatial data, railway stops and stations in the aspect of the density and diversity of the built environment in their vicinity were classified. This classification can be applied to the assessment of accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To improve the method for calculating the time standard for shunting cars from track to track in order to take into account the local operating conditions of railway stations and railway sidings. Methodology. During the research, the methods of theory of railway operation were used. The problem of calculating the time standard for shunting operation was solved as the problem of searching the optimal division of train set into the car groups to achieve minimal time consumption for shunting operation. Findings. In the course of the study, the methods for calculating the time standards for initial and final operations, as well as movements performed when shunting cars from track to track were improved. It was proved that the minimum time spent on shunting cars from track to track was achieved when the train set was divided into the minimum possible number of parts and the cars were shunted in the longest possible groups and one remaining group. It was also established that with sufficient accuracy for engineering problems the duration of shunting train set from track to track can be represented by the piecewise linear function of the car number in it. Originality. The work originality consists in improving the method for calculating the time standard for shunting cars from track to track, that, unlike the existing one, takes into account the length limitations of the car groups being shunted from track to track, as well as the actual composition of operations performed in the process of shunting. Practical value. The use of the developed method allows setting time standards for shunting cars from track to track, taking into account the local operating conditions of railway stations and sidings of industrial enterprises. The method also makes it possible to simplify solving problems of searching the optimal order of performing more complex shunting operations, such as sorting cars into several tracks, collecting cars on one track, train formation, and others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite substantial investment in step-free access at UK railway stations, persons with reduced mobility (PRMs) continue to travel less than their able-bodied counterparts and little is known about the value of step-free access. This research examines the benefits of step-free access and its relationship with rail usage among PRMs, and the wider benefits of railway station accessibility. Methods: These issues are explored through a mixed methods approach. Semi-structured interviews with ten key organisations were undertaken, as was an analysis of Senior/Disabled Persons Railcard data from 17 railway stations in Buckinghamshire, each with varying levels of step-free accessibility. Results: The results show that the benefits of step-free access extend beyond benefits at the individual level typically associated with those limited to PRMs, and demonstrate the potential to positively affect the society at large economically, environmentally, and socially. The findings also show a positive correlation between the level of step-free accessibility at a railway station and the percentage of PRMs using it. Conclusions: This research argues that government and interested stakeholders should commit to expanding the number and coverage of step-free stations throughout the UK. They should ensure that the appraisal process for investment in step-free accessibility appropriately captures both user and non-user benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a comprehensive evaluation of the spaces of 25 railway stations, where power-saving operations are being conducted due to an earthquake, the effects of various components of the space on users' psychology were reviewed. For the platforms of railway stations, which are divided into 'island platforms' and 'side platforms' the 'physical quantity measurement' and 'impression evaluation' were assessed. When a simple power-saving method, such as partial lighting up is adopted, it has been shown that there is a negative effect on the users, both physically and psychologically. In particular, in the case of outdoor platforms, there is a concern that glare and anxiety due to contrast may increase; therefore, it is necessary to utilize the reflective surfaces effectively. Floor illuminance is fundamental to lighting design. However, some areas cannot be evaluated by floor illuminance alone. The difference in the results of the impression evaluation in five areas with floor illuminance around 50 lx was widely distributed, and it was found that the shape and material of the space affected the results. If platform screen doors are installed, a lighting method that can evenly illuminate the interior of the space is necessary. By reviewing each factor that determines the visual impression, it was revealed that the lighting location and lighting method were significantly affected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revue d'Économie Régionale & urbaine is the property of Librairie Armand Colin and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Among the micro-logistic transport systems, railway stations should be highlighted, such as one of the most important transport infrastructure elements. The efficiency of the transport industry as a whole depends on the quality of their operation. Such systems have a complex multi-level structure, and the incoming traffic flow often has a stochastic character. It is known that the most effective approach to study the operation of such systems is mathematical modeling. Earlier, we proposed an approach to transport hub modeling using multiphase queuing systems with a batch Markovian arrival process (BMAP) as an incoming flow. In this paper, we develop the method by applying more complex models based on queuing networks that allow us to describe in detail the route of requests within an object with a non-linear hierarchical structure. This allows us to increase the adequacy of modeling and explore a new class of objects—freight railway stations and marshalling yards. Here we present mathematical models of two railway stations, one of which is a freight railway station located in Russia, and the other is a marshalling yard in the USA. The models have the form of queuing networks with BMAP flow. They are implemented as simulation software, and a numerical experiment is carried out. Based on the numerical results, some "bottlenecks" in the structure of the studied stations are determined. Moreover, the risk of switching to an irregular mode of operation is assessed. The proposed method is suitable for describing a wide range of cargo and passenger transport systems, including river ports, seaports, airports, and multimodal transport hubs. It allows a primary analysis of the hub operation and does not need large statistical information for parametric identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The railway Station Management System (SMS) is a vital component of the modern railway system. However, Thailand is working to modernise its railway and has an insufficient SMS training platform. This article presents the development of an SMS simulation using the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system concept, including reliability modelling with reliability block diagrams for training in Thailand. Its main functions are for control, alarm monitoring, and data event simulation of integrated systems in a railway station. The various subsystems are both the power supply system and facility management systems, including the operation of low-voltage power supply, lift and escalator, security, fire protection, pump and drainage, environment control, and platform screen door. We developed an SMS training system that consists of both hardware and software components. This system demonstrates how SCADA in the railway station functions and improves training for the student and railway operator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low-level distributed nonlinear controller for a DC MicroGrid integrated in a Smart Railway Station capable to recover trains’ braking energy is introduced in this paper. The DC MicroGrid is composed by a number of elements: two different types of renewable energy sources (regenerative braking energy recovery from the trains and photovoltaic panels), two kinds of storages acting at different time scales (a battery and a supercapacitor), a DC load representing an aggregation of all loads in the MicroGrid, and the connection with the main AC grid. The nonlinear model of the MicroGrid is introduced, and a complete stability analysis is investigated to the purpose to meet power balance and grid voltage stability requirements. An Input-to-State Stability (ISS)-like Lyapunov function is obtained with a System-of-Systems approach, and it is utilized to develop the control laws for the converters in order to fulfill the dedicated objective each of them has. Simulation results, showing the desired grid behavior using the proposed nonlinear control laws, are introduced and compared with classical Proportional Integral (PI) linear controllers, with respect to performances and parametric robustness. The DC MicroGrid is shown to be able to operate braking energy recovery while performing load feeding and renewable energy integration and guaranteeing a proper DC voltage profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The railway network plays a significant role (both economically and socially) in assisting the reduction of urban traffic congestion. It also accelerates the decarbonization in cities, societies and built environments. To ensure the safe and secure operation of stations and capture the real-time risk status, it is imperative to consider a dynamic and smart method for managing risk factors in stations. In this research, a framework to develop an intelligent system for managing risk is suggested. The adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) is proposed as a powerful, intelligently selected model to improve risk management and manage uncertainties in risk variables. The objective of this study is twofold. First, we review current methods applied to predict the risk level in the flow. Second, we develop smart risk assessment and management measures (or indicators) to improve our understanding of the safety of railway stations in real-time. Two parameters are selected as input for the risk level relating to overcrowding: the transfer efficiency and retention rate of the platform. This study is the world's first to establish the hybrid artificial intelligence (AI) model, which has the potency to manage risk uncertainties and learns through artificial neural networks (ANNs) by integrated training processes. The prediction result shows very high accuracy in predicting the risk level performance, and proves the AI model capabilities to learn, to make predictions, and to capture risk level values in real time. Such risk information is extremely critical for decision making processes in managing safety and risks, especially when uncertain disruptions incur (e.g., COVID-19, disasters, etc.). The novel insights stemmed from this study will lead to more effective and efficient risk management for single and clustered railway station facilities towards safer, smarter, and more resilient transportation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the increasing focus on setting up emergency care centers in railway stations across India by the government, there are no baseline data in India, or the world, about the profile of patients presenting with emergencies on the trains and at the railway stations. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included all people who presented with any medical emergency to the Emergency Care Center (ECC), Katpadi Railway Station in South India, between January 2017 and December 2017. Details were obtained from the register maintained by the emergency nurses stationed at the ECC. Results: Among 1076 patients who presented to the ECC during the study period, the mean age was 37 years (standard deviation: 19.01) with two-thirds (66.1%) being males. A quarter (23.4%) were trauma-related and 76.6% were medical emergencies. Sharp force injuries [58.8% (151/252)] was the predominant mode of trauma, while laceration [57.1%] (144/252) was the predominant type of injury sustained. Common nontrauma presenting complaints included fever (27.5%), headache (17.9%), nausea/vomiting (17.9%), and abdominal pain (15%). The maximum number of cases was in the summer months of May–June with heat-related symptoms, while the maximum number of fever cases was recorded during the monsoon season. The majority (905/1076; 84.1%) were able to continue their journey further, and 13.9% required referral to a nearby hospital. During the 1-year study period, 2 patients with trauma and 18 with various medical conditions died at the railway station or at a hospital after resuscitation at the ECC. Conclusions: Trauma, fever, headache, and vomiting are the most common emergencies among patients traveling by rail and at the railway stations. Establishing well-equipped ECCs across the country to handle trauma and other medical emergencies during travel is part of primary care provided and is the need of the hour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Komunikaty Mazursko-Warminskie is the property of Komunikaty Mazursko-Warminskie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the Netherlands, many (mainly larger) train stations suffer from capacity shortages for bicycle parking as the result of a large increase in the use of the bicycle as a feeder mode. Sharing of parked bicycles with arriving train passengers who are in need of a bicycle for some time would decrease the number of parked bicycles and reduce the capacity shortage. The paper explores to which extent sharing of these bicycles relieves the capacity problem by investigating the maximum potential for reducing the peak of parked bicycles. This is the potential of the case when all considered participants (bicycle owners and those who are in need for a bicycle) are willing to share. The analyses are based on data of the Dutch National Travel Survey. The main result is that the potential is likely to be modest. The estimated maximum is for the large stations between 13% and 50%, the actual potential is likely to be significantly lower. The large range for the maximum can partly be explained by the uncertainty about the number of arriving train passengers that might shift to the bicycle for the last mile if sharing increases bicycle availability. A second result is that sharing can have a significant effect on the distribution of parked bicycles over the day. The current peak halfway the day can turn into a dip between two peaks in the traditional morning and evening peak hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interim railway noise modelling method RMR, recommended by Directive 2002/49/EC, was developed with the aim of creating strategic noise maps for all major railways, as well as for tracks in urban areas, and harmonizing the parameters for noise level evaluation. Studies conducted in several European countries have shown that the interim method does not meet local conditions of these countries, and that noise levels determined by this method differ from noise levels obtained by field measurements. Traffic noise modelling in the vicinity of Ivanić Grad Railway Station, located near Croatia’s capital Zagreb, is described in this paper. Noise levels were determined by means of the RMR interim method, recommended by Directive, and Schall 03, German national method that is still widely used in Croatian noise protection practice. Furthermore, two different scenarios were considered so as to determine the impact of railway vehicle dynamics on noise levels. Vehicle acceleration and deceleration segments were defined in detail in the first scenario, while changes in vehicle moving speeds were neglected in the second scenario. Research results have shown that the noise levels determined by the RMR interim method are lower than those obtained by field measurements, and that the Schall 03 noise modelling method presents more accurate results, which points to the pressing need to develop a national railway noise modelling method in Croatia. Previous noise analyses, conducted on other railway stations in Croatia, have also pointed to this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The setting of railway station waiting room and waiting zones relates to passengers' feeling and satisfaction. In this article, the authors develop an optimization model for railway station waiting room assignment, as well as considering adjustment of platforms. With four types of improvement strategies: zone optimization, room optimization, time optimization and interactive priority policy, this optimal model aims to effectively and efficiently improve the railway service quality and security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author proposes to develop special models that are built based on finitestate machine, Mealy, in order to display information about technological processes at railway stations. The input alphabet of such machines is represented by the real signals (from the floor equipment, the related information systems and the dispatch office personnel). This representation allows one to formalize the software design process of real-time information management systems for these technological processes. The article demonstrates the possibility of formal transition from the automaton model to the software algorithms. The proposed approach was tested when designing the information system for Nizhnedneprovsk junction railway yard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, the need to integrate the air and rail networks has been identified and dozens of transport hubs that include air and HSR links have been built or are planned. In this research, which is complementary to Chen and Lin, the level and potential for air–rail integration at Shanghai Hongqiao Integrated Transport Hub is examined and analyzed. The results show that despite the excellent infrastructure the actual level of integration is low, while the potential benefits from such integration could be very large. It seems that in China the main barrier for air–rail integration is institutional and stems from the institutional (and cultural) division between air and rail transport and from the importance placed on promoting competition almost at any cost – both of these barriers can be said to be ‘imported’ to China from (especially) the U.S. and Europe. But with the infrastructure for air–rail integration in place, the potential to realize such an integration is far greater. A move away from the uni-modal governance and planning of transport can open the door not only to air–rail integration but to the creation of a truly integrated transport system in China. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Shelters, instead of buildings, are used at small railway stations in Switzerland to protect waiting passengers from environmental loading such as wind, rain and sun. As they are mostly located on open terrain, small railway stations are exposed to wind and therefore require wind comfort analysis. Generally, the same shelter design is used for a large number of different railways stations at locations with different local climates. These shelters have to be designed carefully to protect the passengers for a large number of weather conditions with, for example, different wind speeds and wind directions. In this paper, a wind comfort study for a prototype of a railway station shelter is presented. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are conducted to predict the local wind velocities in and around the shelter. The results based on amplification factors show a good wind sheltering efficiency of the prototype for most common weather conditions in Switzerland. Because the side and back walls of the shelter do not reach the ground, high wind velocities can be obtained at the level of the feet and legs. Simulations with modified side and back wall geometries show that the wind sheltering efficiency can be improved by introducing small modifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flow condition on undivided stairways becomes more acute during heavy inflow of pedestrian under restricted space. The study of pedestrian movement under such conditions is inevitable for understanding overall operation at a railway station. Limited studies have been reported in the past considering pedestrian movement under different flow and direction of movement under controlled conditions. Nevertheless, to this end, this study aims at investigating the effect of bidirectional pedestrian movement on capacity of undivided stairways located inside railway transit stations, where pedestrians face heavy opposing flow particularly during arrival of train. For this purpose, analysis has been carried out to comprehend the influence of directional distribution of pedestrian flow on walking speed and hence, also on capacity of an undivided stairway, taking a case of Dadar railway station in Mumbai, India. Collected data-sets were used for developing fundamental macroscopic speed-flow relationships. Based on directional distribution ratio, available space for individual direction was determined through acquisition of coordinates based on the geometry of stairways considered for this study. Study results show that unbalanced distribution ratio reduces the average walking speed in individual direction as well as capacity of the stairway. The effect of bidirectional movement is found to be more significant, when distribution ratio decreases from 0.6 in descending direction, making ascending flow more dominant. At this ratio (downward 0.6 and upward 0.4), it is observed that descending flow is reasonably influenced due to movement of opposing minor flow (upward) indicating certain levels of bidirectional as well as unidirectional conflicts between two streams; resulting into highest difference in the walking speed of both directions (mainly due to higher speeds in downward direction); which offers maximum capacity. Methodology developed through this study and the results obtained can be useful for optimizing the pedestrian flow on a given undivided stairway coupled together with planning of other alternative pedestrian facilities at railway stations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]