Current techniques of travel demand management are based on the simulation of users’ reactions to implement strategies. Indeed, the correct modelling of user behaviour may be considered important for managing public transport systems. Especially in high-density contexts, performance of the masstransit system may represent one of the main tools of decision-makers for affecting users’ choices. In this article, we focus on the behaviour of users waiting on rail/metro platforms, analysing boarding priorities when a train arrives based on the traditional First In–First Out (FIFO) approach and comparing it with Random In–First Out (RIFO) behaviour. The approaches are then applied in the case of a real metro line operating under different congestion levels.

The Southern African region is made of nine countries, each with own local railway network. Most of the countries have railway links with neighbouring countries resulting in the formation of a wide railway network. Majority of the locomotives currently in use in most of these countries are diesel powered despite efforts made by some countries such as South Africa and Zimbabwe of electrifying some of their domestic railway routes. The focus of the research article is on the economic and environmental benefits that Southern African countries can draw from an electrified railway network. It is expected that there would be reduced railway locomotive exhaust fumes-related pollutants in the environment resulting in cleaner air. High-speed associated with electric trains would encourage the use of railway transport for both passenger and heavy goods movement which at the moment are dominated by road and air transport. The use of comparatively safe and cost-effective railway transport would not only improve trade among member countries but also attract foreign investment. It is expected that transportation of industrial raw materials and finished products would not only be efficient but also costeffective. Reduction of heavy goods traffic would besides decongesting the roads, but also bring down the cost of road maintenance. Finally, the damaging effects of the locomotives’ exhaust fumes would be avoided if railway electrification was embarked on. In addition, trade between member countries is expected to increase due to comparatively cost-effective fast movement of goods and passengers. The region is expected to save some foreign exchange due to reduced expenditure on road maintenance and locomotive diesel imports.

Hybrid vehicles have experienced a great boom in recent years thanks to the increasing spread of ‘parallel’ architectures, often realized by a planetary gear train (Hybrid Synergy Drive).

At the same time, an enhancement of electrical and electronic components has been experienced; these improvements especially concern reliability and efficiency. Particularly, the possibility of using supercapacitors with increasing storage performances makes possible to manage higher power flows together with a superior efficiency. These innovations may challenge the architecture used nowadays on medium size cars.

The hybrid series architecture, which allows the optimal management of the combustion engine, has been disadvantaged until now by the electric powertrain efficiency.

In the current scenario, this architecture could benefit from the above-mentioned technology, becoming a competitive alternative to the actual powertrain configurations. The aim of this article is the efficiency analysis, in order to evaluate the operational energy efficiency achievable thanks to this configuration. This analysis will be carried out considering all the possible working conditions of the different powertrains.

This study verifies the impact of the reduced fare programme for senior citizens on the step count per day, visited places and the modal share of public transportation. We targeted citizens over 65 years in Toyama City, Japan. The city operates a Special Pass Project, which allows passholders to receive a public transportation discount fare to the city centre from any station or stop in the city. We selected participants randomly and collected global positioning system log data and step counts for one month. Participants were instructed to wear the provided instruments, which we configured in advance. We analysed and compared the results between passholders and non-passholders. Passholders walked more than non-passholders. In addition, passholders visited more places in the city centre. Moreover, the modal share of public transportation between the city centre and home was higher for passholders than for non-passholders. These results confirm that the reduced fare programme supports active lifestyles for senior citizens.

Congestion at ticket gatelines is a growing problem. According to travel projections in the UK, the number of journeys for rail passengers is likely to double over the next 30 years. This creates the need to improve passenger throughput while still maintaining revenue protection. The proposed solution is to create a ‘Gateless Gateline’: a concept in which a user can seamlessly authenticate the intent to travel in train stations using current ticketing media ranging from barcode and Bluetooth low energy to radiofrequency identification, as well as new and emerging ticketing media, specifically related to biometrics. This article focuses on utilizing three-dimensional (3D) face recognition based on photometric stereo using near-infrared (NIR) light to illuminate a face for a 3D construction and tracking for the purpose of associating the correct biometric identifier with the correct person in a high-throughput environment. Other biometric systems have also been investigated as part of this project, i.e. palm vein scanning based on passing NIR light through the palm. There are challenges when it comes to associating passengers with valid travel tokens in a system which is free flowing and does not have a modus operandi of a standard access gate where validation occurs one at a time, normally signalled by paddles opening and closing. The proposed solution to the above, alongside the known issues associated with scaling biometric solutions, is reported in this article.

The project brief was simple: create future proof guidelines for a form of transport that has rarely been seen and technology capabilities that have only recently been imagined while ensuring safety and ease of use for government and industry. Automated vehicles are predicted to revolutionize mobility in a way that we have not seen for over a hundred years. Increased safety on the road, improved efficiency and beneficial environmental impacts are all presented as potential benefits of more automated vehicles. However, to achieve these outcomes the technology must be trialled and tested in many different environments. In Australia, establishing that the technology can perform is crucial to both the public as users and to governments, who aim to ensure public safety. For example, it is necessary to confirm that the red dust in Central Australia doesn’t inhibit cameras and that movement projection algorithms can accurately predict the course of a kangaroo. Additionally, any guidance must work within the existing transport regulatory framework. The federated states and territories of Australia manage operational aspects of road transport regulation, while the Commonwealth Government manages standards for imported vehicles or those manufactured in Australia. This article describes the policy context in which the National Transport Commission worked with the state, territory and federal governments as well as industry stakeholders to design a flexible but robust set of guidelines that both encourages trials in Australia and ensures the safety of other road users.

Many initiatives have been implemented in an attempt to reduce traffic congestion and to encourage more sustainable commuting choices, however, rarely has before–after research been undertaken to measure the effect of introduction of such initiatives on commuter attitudes or behaviour. The University of Waikato, New Zealand, introduced parking charges for approximately 14,000 staff and students on their main campus in 2016, but not on a satellite campus in another city. A multimethod approach including questionnaires, naturalistic observation and photo-voice methodologies was used to assess the impact of parking fees on commuting attitudes and behaviour of staff and students. The heavy reliance on car travel was undiminished after the introduction of parking fees. Commuters still arrived by car, but more parked off-campus or became willing to pay parking fees after they were introduced. There was no increase in bus travel or cycling after the introduction of parking fees. Strategies to decrease car commuting to university campuses include higher parking charges, removing any ability to pay in advance for parking, reducing the availability of free parking nearby, subsidizing bus travel for staff and students, improving cycle and pedestrian access and related facilities, promoting the health benefits of active transport, policies that encourage students to spend more time on campus, ensuring that bus schedules align with lecture times and provision of student housing on or near campus.

Aimed at discrete character of complex pneumatic control valve, the 120 emergency valve was taken as an example. Under the theory of power bond graph and model approximation and introduction of controllable node and virtual element, the mathematic model of 120 emergency valve was built with uniform causality in different working modes. The created bond graph was utilized to research the effects of two structural parameters (aperture size of hole Ⅲ and gap between piston rod and push rod) on stability and emergency sensitivity. Analysis results show that when the diameter is designed as 2.5 mm, the selection range of the gap will be 3–3.5 mm; when the gap is designed as 3 mm, the diameter will be 2.5–2.7 mm. The proposed method may be commonly applied to modelling and analysis of other complex pneumatic control valve.