Length optimization of straight line connecting turnout on main line in high-speed railway station yard

Taking the development of high-speed railway in China as background, and referring to the dynamic theory and wheel-rail contact mode, dynamic analysis model was established, considering the setting position of straight lines and running conditions of train in high-speed railway station yard. Using the established model, and choosing vehicle lateral acceleration and wheel suspension as the evaluation indexes, dynamic characteristic of vehicle traveling in turnout and adjacent area on main line was analyzed, and effects on travelling safety and stability of train aroused by length variation of straight lines were calculated based on analyzing the damping rules of vibration. The results show that, a certain length of straight lines can alleviate the vibration aroused in turnout and curve(turnout), length of straight lines connecting turnouts in different sections on main line was proposed to meet the demand of traveling stability, and shortening or cancelation of straight line for the scale limitation of station yard has less influence on operation safety of train.

Calculation method for station carrying capacity of high-speed railway based on station blocking time method

A station carrying capacity calculation method based on the station blocking time method is proposed.According to the station track circuit groups,signal system and station topological structure,the station blocks are divided and the division principle is proposed.Then the train routes model is built based on the station blocking time method.The calculation methods of the train arrival headway and departure headway at the station are redefined.The optimal capacity calculation model and algorithm based on a given train operation plan are studied by analyzing the optimal operation sequence of trains with different train speeds and operation types.With the case study of Jinan West Railway Station of Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway in China,the minimum arrival headway between two trains with the speeds of 300 and 250 km/h can be reduced to 3.0 and 2.7 min,respectively.The maximum calculation results of the calculation methods can be increased from 13 train/h to 16 train/h.This method can increase the number of trains within a period of time in a station while meeting the transport organization and passenger service requirements.

Simulation Modeling on Emergency Evacuation in High-Speed Railway Stations in China

A simulation study on occupant evacuation in high-speed railway stations （HSRSs） was presented in China. Pathfinder was employed as the simulation platform and a typical HSRS in a medinm-sized city in China was selected for model development. The model was carefully calibrated and validated by comparing simulation results with field data. Evacuation efficiency could be improved with the increased door width while such effect decreased when the door width reached a marginal value. And the marginal value varied under different occupant densities. An exponential function between evacuation lime and occupant density was fitted, indicating that occupant density significantly affected evacuation efficiency. A set of different evacuation strategies were compared, in terms of their evacuation performances. It was found that a balanced door usage would result in more efficient evacuations in HSRSs. Thus occupant flows were suggested to be managed considering door capacity. To avoid potential safety issues caused by such strategy （ e. g. , more occupants could be evacuated from a smaller area designed with higher door capacity ）, occupants needed to enhance their awareness of following evacuation guidance instead of panic escape in emergencies. Moreover, such safety issues could also be avoided during the design phase that the evacuation capacity was designed to be proportional to the room capacity for each floor. The results of this study provide valuable information for HSRS design and flow management in China.

For the Greater Good?—A Critical Reflection on Assessing Indirect Economic Effects Caused by Large Transport Projects

Investing in large transport projects affects the (potential) economic development of metropolitan areas. Yet, very little critical research has been performed to understand how to assess these effects. The relationship between infrastructure investments and regional economic development is complex and indirect, and many theoretical and methodological difficulties remain. On the one hand, the assumption that investing in infrastructure is important to sustain economic growth is sometimes doubted. On the other hand, it is argued that investments in infrastructure enhance the accessibility of urban regions and that in the slipstream of such investments, social problems in urban regions can be tackled as well. Despite these contrasting views, there is at least a consensus that transport infrastructure development depends on economic development and vice versa. Yet, in many cases, the method of assessing economic impacts highly affects the results. Therefore, this paper focuses on a critical reflection of methods for estimating economic effects of infrastructure investments. A critical evaluation is made based on Indonesian and Japanese cases. After conducting in-depth desk research on both cases, we found that the broader effects on affected group of people tend to be overlooked due to the problems of time and space dimensions, the chain reaction of effects, and inappropriate data practices. The assessment on the appraisal processes tends to overlook the broader economic implication due to narrow focus and the concept of efficiency of economic theory.

New-concept Design Innovation of Passenger Station Construction for Qinghe Railway Station of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou HSR

Qinghe Railway Station is the largest passenger station along the Beijing-Zhangjiakou HSR and will serve as the originating station of this line during the A 2022 Winter Olympics.It is also one of the eight major passenger stations in.Beijing.During the construction of this station,all units involved in the construction have made their effors to learn and understand the new concept of building up a“well-connected,filly-integrated,environment-friendly,passenger-oriented,economically-efficient,culturally-rich,inelligent and convenient”passenger station in the new era.Qinghe Railway Station of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou HSR was completed and opened to traffic by the end of 2019 through exploration of new-concept design innovation for passenger station construction in the new era,which was widely praised by the general public.The paper summarizes how the new design concept of passenger station construction is innovated and implemented during the construction of Qinghe Railway Station,thus providing a reference for the future construction of passenger stations.

Assessment and simulation of evacuation in large railway stations

Evacuation systems in buildings are frequently assessed to improve emergency response processes.This paper proposes a method to evaluate the performance of different evacuation modes,and determine a rational mode for large railway stations.We developed a simulation for the evaluation of fire safety in large buildings based on an analytic hierarchy process(AHP)method.This approach includes AHP-based exploration and simulation-based refinement.We considered a typical railway station for validation,conducted a field survey to collect the data,and calculated the influencing factors based on expert opinion.The influencing factors were further processed based on the principles of a hierarchical model.The relative weights of the influencing factors were calculated through a series of pairwise comparisons using the AHP.Further,we applied factor refinement based on the evacuation simulations to determine the degree and status of influence of each factor.The influence of external factors was generally stronger than that of the internal factors.Among them,the building component characteristics and people's physiological capabilities were the core of the evacuation assessment in large railway stations.Additionally,the exit width,seat layout,visibility,speed,and reaction capabilities were crucial to the evacuation process.The proposed method is practical as it demands limited computations to provide useful information,such as a priority ranking of each influencing factor,for the evaluation process.

Life in the Slow Lane China’s unprofitable slow trains give villagers an affordable travel option

What comes to mind at the men-tion of China's railway?A high-speed train traveling at 350 km per hour?A rail network extending over 130,000 km?Overcrowded stations?Or perhaps,Chinese rail projects in Africa and elsewhere in the world?