Generating route choice sets with operation information on metro networks

In recent years, the metro system has advanced into an efficient transport system and become the mainstay of urban passenger transport in many mega-cities. Passenger flow is the foundation of making and coordinating operation plans for the metro system, and therefore, a variety of studies were conducted on transit assignment models. Nevertheless route choice sets of passengers also play a paramount role in flow estimation and demand prediction. This paper first discusses the main route constraints of which the train schedule is the most important, that distinguish rail networks from road networks. Then, a two-step approach to generate route choice set in a metro network is proposed. Particularly, the improved approach introduces a route filtering with train operational information based on the conventional method. An initial numerical test shows that the proposed approach gives more reasonable route choice sets for scheduled metro networks, and, consequently, obtains more accurate results from passenger flow assignment. Recommendations for possible opportunities to apply this approach to metro operations are also provided, including its integration into a metro passenger flow assignment and simulation system in practice to help metro authorities provide more precise guidance information for passengers to travel.