Urban Public Transport Systems

Urbanization and Mobility

• More than two-thirds of the world's population is expected to live in urban centers by the mid-21st century (United Nations, 2015).
• Urbanization and suburbanization lead to an increase in commuter movements, resulting in a higher load on the transport infrastructure, especially during peak hours.
• Developing sustainable mobility concepts is crucial for resource and climate protection.

Public Transportation

• Efficient local public transportation plays a central role in sustainable mobility.
• Public transport systems need to be built or upgraded to meet the increasing demand for transport.

Transport Capacity

• Transport capacity is determined by the product of the number of trips per hour and the vehicle capacity (number of available seats and standing spaces).
• The performance of a line depends on factors such as existing infrastructure, rolling stock characteristics, and railway operations planning.

Increasing Performance

• Optimization of vehicle characteristics can increase performance, including:
  • Improved driving dynamics
  • Higher acceleration and braking capacity
  • Increased distance between station stops at maximum permissible speed
  • Faster passenger exchange at stops through design of doors and platforms
• Holistic approach to system design is required, as illustrated in the Ishikawa diagram.