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Sustainability
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Sustainable Transport Research and Railway Network Performance
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Sustainable Transport Research and Railway Network Performance

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Transportation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2025 | Viewed by 4773

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Svetla Stoilova

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Transport, Technical University of Sofia, 8 Kl. Ohridski Blvd.,1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: railway network performance; railway management; railway passenger transport planning; transportation planning; urban transport; intermodal transport; logistics; multi-criteria decision making; multi-objective optimization; transportation modelling
Prof. Dr. Borna Abramović

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Railway Transport, University of Zagreb, P-1, Facility 70, ZUK Borongaj, Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: railway traffic organization; integrated passenger transport; traffic statistics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Research on sustainable transport and railway network performance is essential to the development of countries and their transport systems. The development of transport in the railway network and transport corridors has implications for connectivity and mobility between regions nationally and globally. This affects the development of the interaction between modes of transport, the development of intermodal and multimodal transport, and the processes that take place in a transport chain for transporting passengers and goods. Since rail transport is an ecological mode of transport, the development and sustainability of rail networks is an important factor in environmental protection. The various forms of rail transport that exist in cities, such as urban rail transport, light rail systems and metro systems, are also vital as modes of interregional railway transport. This Special Issue aims to stimulate innovative theoretical approaches, novel technological developments and decision support systems that contribute to the greater flexibility, productivity and sustainability of rail transport on lines, corridors, nodes and networks.

This Special Issue aims to expand scientific knowledge regarding the technology and organization of transport in the railway network, which is also related to increasing the sustainability and efficiency of railway transport as part of a transport system. Topics of interest focus on research related to the sustainability and efficiency of the rail network; the organization and planning of passenger and freight rail transport; research on the demand for rail transport services; transportation forecasting; traffic management and ensuring the safety of railway operations; improving the efficiency of train timetables; capacity management; multimodal and intermodal transport; the study of railway corridor performance; connectivity and mobility; high-speed rail technologies; energy saving in railways; urban rail transport; and light rail or metro systems.  Therefore, the aim of this Special Issue is to provide a platform for the transfer of knowledge regarding the development of passenger and freight rail transport, urban rail transport, intermodal and multimodal transport, railway network connectivity and sustainability. This Special Issue welcomes the submission of articles that employ methods such as mathematical modelling and optimization, simulation modelling, statistical analysis, multi-criteria decision making, multi-objective optimization, game theory, neural network, fuzzy systems, etc., in order to conduct research on sustainable transport and railway network performance. This Special Issue will contribute to the sustainability of decision-making in transport management, and increase the efficiency of railway transport.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Railway network performance;
  • Railway transport corridors performance;
  • Railway traffic management;
  • Railway passenger transport planning;
  • Rail freight transport planning;
  • Railway transport demand management;
  • Forecasting transport flows in railway network;
  • Multimodal transport systems;
  • Intermodal transport technologies;
  • Railway connectivity and mobility;
  • Connectivity in transport nodes;
  • Connections between different modes of transport;
  • Railway capacity assessment of nodes, lines and networks;
  • Timetabling (scheduling and routing);
  • High-speed railway technologies;
  • Railway network safety and risk assessment;
  • Energy-efficient technologies in rail transport;
  • Sustainability of autonomous railway systems;
  • Sustainable railway transport in cities;
  • Urban rail transport, rapid transit, light rail systems, commuter rail;
  • Metro system performance;
  • Railway simulation;
  • Modelling and optimization in railway network;
  • Neural network in railway system;
  • Multi-criteria network optimization;
  • Multi-criteria decision-making for sustainable transportation;
  • Multi-objective optimization for sustainable transportation;
  • Sustainability neuro-fuzzy systems in railway network.

Prof. Dr. Svetla Stoilova
Prof. Dr. Borna Abramović
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • railway network performance
  • railway corridors performance
  • sustainable railway transportation
  • sustainable railway system
  • railway traffic
  • railway management
  • railway passenger transport
  • railway freight transport
  • timetabling
  • intermodal transport
  • multimodal transport
  • urban rail transport
  • metro systems
  • connectivity
  • mobility
  • risk assessment
  • mathematical modelling and optimization
  • MCDM

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

31 pages, 1878 KiB  
Article
An Integrated SIMUS–Game Theory Approach for Sustainable Decision Making—An Application for Route and Transport Operator Selection
by Svetla Stoilova
Sustainability 2024, 16(21), 9199; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16219199 - 23 Oct 2024
Viewed by 622
Abstract
The choice of management strategy for companies operating in different sectors of the economy is of great importance for their sustainable development. In many cases, companies are in competition within the scope of the same activities, meaning that the profit of one company [...] Read more.
The choice of management strategy for companies operating in different sectors of the economy is of great importance for their sustainable development. In many cases, companies are in competition within the scope of the same activities, meaning that the profit of one company is at the expense of the other. The choice of strategies for each of the firms in this case can be optimized using game theory for a non-cooperative game case where the two players have antagonistic interests. The aim of this research is to develop a methodology which, in non-cooperative games, accounts for the benefits of different criteria for each of the strategies of the two participants. In this research a new integrated sequential interactive model for urban systems (SIMUS)–game theory technique for decision making in the case of non-cooperative games is proposed. The methodology includes three steps. The first step consists of a determination of the strategies of both players and the selection of criteria for their assessment. In the second step the SIMUS method for multi-criteria analysis is applied to identify the benefits of the strategies for both players according to the criteria. The model formation in game theory is drawn up in the third step. The payoff matrix of the game is formed based on the benefits obtained from the SIMUS method. The strategies of both players are solved by dual linear programming. Finally, to verify the results of the new approach we apply four criteria to make a decision—Laplace’s criterion, the minimax and maximin criteria, Savage’s criterion and Hurwitz’s criterion. The new integrated SIMUS–game theory approach is applied to a real example in the transport sector. The Bulgarian transport network is investigated regarding route and transport type selection for a carriage of containers between a starting point, Sofia, and a destination, Varna, in the case of competition between railway and road operators. Two strategies for a railway operator and three strategies for a road operator are examined. The benefits of the strategies for both operators are determined using the SIMUS method, based on seven criteria representing environmental, technological, infrastructural, economic, security and safety factors. The optimal strategies for both operators are determined using the game model and dual linear programming. It is discovered that the railway operator will apply their first strategy and that the road operator will also apply their first strategy. Both players will obtain a profit if they implement their optimal strategies. The new integrated SIMUS–game theory approach can be used in different areas of research, when the strategies for both players in non-cooperatives games need to be established. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Research and Railway Network Performance)
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17 pages, 4492 KiB  
Article
Research on Intercity Railway Subsidy Mechanism Optimization from the Perspective of a Government–Company Game Model: A Case Study of Henan Intercity Railway
by Guoyong Yue, Zijian Zhao, Lei Dai and Hao Hu
Sustainability 2024, 16(17), 7631; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177631 - 3 Sep 2024
Viewed by 719
Abstract
Intercity railway is an important part of public transportation, and the priority development of public transportation cannot be achieved without the support of government policies. This paper aims to find a more reasonable subsidy model for the governments and intercity railway companies. The [...] Read more.
Intercity railway is an important part of public transportation, and the priority development of public transportation cannot be achieved without the support of government policies. This paper aims to find a more reasonable subsidy model for the governments and intercity railway companies. The paper analyzes the mechanism of intercity railway subsidy and uses the evolutionary game method to balance interests among governments, railway companies and social capitals. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The introduction of performance subsidy into the traditional loss subsidy strategy can alleviate the conflict of interests between government and companies, and achieve a win-win conclusion: an annual revenue of 50 million RMB for the railway and 4 million RMB for the social capitals could be generated by the new subsidy model. (2) According to different intercity railways, reference performance standards are different, and operating mileage, pairs of trains and passenger flow are some of the factors that can be considered. The innovation of this paper is the introduction of a new dynamic subsidy model that combines performance and loss subsidies to intercity railways. For sustainable transportation development, it is significant for the government to develop a new reasonable intercity railway subsidy strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Research and Railway Network Performance)
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20 pages, 1471 KiB  
Article
Methodology for Quantification of Technological Processes in Passenger Railway Transport Using Alternatively Powered Vehicles
by Martin Kendra, Daniel Pribula and Tomáš Skrúcaný
Sustainability 2024, 16(16), 7239; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16167239 - 22 Aug 2024
Viewed by 626
Abstract
Due to the reduction in diesel propulsion on railway networks across the world, it is essential to consider the introduction of an alternative propulsion where electrification would not be feasible. The introduction of alternative propulsions may influence the technological processes of train processing [...] Read more.
Due to the reduction in diesel propulsion on railway networks across the world, it is essential to consider the introduction of an alternative propulsion where electrification would not be feasible. The introduction of alternative propulsions may influence the technological processes of train processing and interrupt its quantification methodology, due to their specific operational requirements. The problem of the quantification of technological processes of train processing is not sufficiently solved even in the field of conventional propulsions; therefore, the aim of this paper is to propose a unique methodological procedure for the quantification of selected processes of train processing operated by multiple units with a conventional or alternative propulsion. The new process quantification methodology enables the duration determination of a specific process, which can be simply determined for multiple units of different length and propulsion under local conditions. The duration determination is based on the final formula or its graphical representation. The function is based on data obtained by analysing the evaluated workflow of a model and multiple units using the PERT network analysis method. The proposed methodological procedure is verified by different types of propulsions through a case study using real values. The application of the methodology can prevent the risks related to non-compliance of the required technological times and at the same time increase the sustainability of the operation stability of railway passenger transport. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Research and Railway Network Performance)
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25 pages, 3934 KiB  
Article
Multi-Objective Optimization of Short-Inverted Transport Scheduling Strategy Based on Road–Railway Intermodal Transport
by Dudu Guo, Yinuo Su, Xiaojiang Zhang, Zhen Yang and Pengbin Duan
Sustainability 2024, 16(15), 6310; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16156310 - 24 Jul 2024
Viewed by 875
Abstract
This study focuses on the ‘short-inverted transportation’ scenario of intermodal transport. It proposes a vehicle unloading reservation mechanism to optimize the point-of-demand scheduling system for the inefficiency of transport due to the complexity and uncertainty of the scheduling strategy. This paper establishes a [...] Read more.
This study focuses on the ‘short-inverted transportation’ scenario of intermodal transport. It proposes a vehicle unloading reservation mechanism to optimize the point-of-demand scheduling system for the inefficiency of transport due to the complexity and uncertainty of the scheduling strategy. This paper establishes a scheduling strategy optimization model to minimize the cost of short backhaul and obtain the shortest delivery time window and designs a hybrid NSGWO algorithm suitable for multi-objective optimization to solve the problem. The algorithm incorporates the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) algorithm based on the Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) algorithm, compensating for a single algorithm’s premature convergence. The experiment selects a logistics carrier’s actual road–rail intermodal short-inverted data and compares and verifies the above data. The results show that the scheduling scheme obtained by this algorithm can save 41.01% of the transport cost and shorten the total delivery time by 46.94% compared with the original scheme, which can effectively protect the enterprise’s economic benefits while achieving timely delivery. At the same time, the optimized scheduling plan resulted in a lower number of transport vehicles, which positively impacted the sustainability of green logistics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Research and Railway Network Performance)
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17 pages, 9970 KiB  
Article
Mining Multimodal Travel Mobilities with Big Ridership Data: Comparative Analysis of Subways and Taxis
by Hui Zhang, Yu Cui and Jianmin Jia
Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 4305; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104305 - 20 May 2024
Viewed by 1031
Abstract
Understanding traveler mobility in cities is significant for urban planning and traffic management. However, most traditional studies have focused on travel mobility in a single traffic mode. Only limited studies have focused on the travel mobility associated with multimodal transportation. Subways are considered [...] Read more.
Understanding traveler mobility in cities is significant for urban planning and traffic management. However, most traditional studies have focused on travel mobility in a single traffic mode. Only limited studies have focused on the travel mobility associated with multimodal transportation. Subways are considered a green travel mode with large capacity, while taxis are an energy-consuming travel mode that provides a personalized service. Exploring the relationship between subway mobility and taxi mobility is conducive to building a sustainable multimodal transportation system, such as one with mobility as a service (MaaS). In this study, we propose a framework for comparatively analyzing the travel mobilities associated with subways and taxis. Firstly, we divided taxi trips into three groups: competitive, cooperative, and complementary. Voronoi diagrams based on subway stations were introduced to divide regions. An entropy index was adopted to measure the mix of taxi trips. Secondly, subway and taxi trip networks were constructed based on the divided regions. The framework was tested based on the automatic fare collection (AFC) data and global positioning system (GPS) data of a subway in Beijing, China. The results showed that the proportions of taxi competition, taxi cooperation, and taxi complements were 9.1%, 35.6%, and 55.3%, respectively. The entropy was large in the central city and small in the suburbs. Moreover, it was found that the subway trip network was connected more closely than the taxi network. However, the unbalanced condition of taxis is more serious than that of the subway. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Research and Railway Network Performance)
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