Rail Transit Operations Analysis: Framework and Applications

This thesis investigates strategies to improve service quality performance on a rail rapid transit line. Using data sources now commonly available, such as databases in Automatic Transit Supervision systems, an approach is suggested that uses available data and continuing input from agency personnel. The approach aims to draw out local operational and institutional conditions affecting service quality performance, and aims to identify improvement strategies that are likely to be implemented. There are three ways of defining operational problems. The first is a failure in meeting performance measures. The second is a failure of agency staff in making decisions given agency objectives and constraints. Areas of decision-making are defined as line characteristics, operating plan and service management. The third way of defining an operational problem is when agency objectives are problematic for overall good performance. The recommended methodology for studying rail transit line performance attempts to highlight problems of the second and third types. Since the operational practices of rail transit lines are not currently well documented, a rich description of line operations is needed to identify these problems. Because agency objectives and constraints that enter into decision processes are complex, an analyst must be able to draw them out of other agency staff. Although this may be accomplished through interviews alone, it may be more useful to prepare representations of system behavior (such as time-space plots or other illustrations) and discuss these specific cases with key staff in interviews. In this way, agency staff can provide more detailed information to the analyst to document and use. This methodology was applied in a case study of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Red Line. The study resulted in series of recommendations, one of which has led to a reduction in passenger waiting time without any additional costs being incurred. Further modifications to the operating plan as warranted by the findings have the potential to further reduce passenger waiting time at no operational or capital cost. Reconfigurations to the signal design may reduce minimum headways significantly. Thesis Supervisor: Nigel H.M. Wilson Title: Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering