This project grew out of a conviction that an automated guideway transit (AGT) system had the flexibility of operating either with individual vehicles or with functional multi-vehicle trains, with the capability of forming (entraining) and splitting (extraining) trains during trips, could offer significant advantages over either single vehicles or fixed train systems for some urban applications. The study serves as a broad-based preliminary evaluation of the potential advantages and disadvantages of entrained AGT. It includes an investigation of the applications for which entrained AGT is well suited, and an assessment of how much capacity improvement it can offer. The study shows that passenger capacity of AGT systems may be increased by operating vehicles in dynamically-reconfigured trains or platoons. It is estimated that a minimum lane capacity of 5,000 to 10,000 passengers per hour is needed to make single-party AGT economically competitive with buses and that this capacity requires the use of trains. The longitudinal control systems needed to effect dynamic en/extrainment with platoon operations at spacings of 30--60 cm are developed herein with particular attention to stability, jerk limiting requirements, safety and passenger comfort. The capacity advantage of entraining is demonstrated for a single guideway link and for merge junctions, using Monte Carlo simulation. Variable-slot-length point-follower control is shown to reduce merge delays and maneuver ramp lengths compared with fixed-slot methods. The 'zero gap' merge scheme developed produces dramatic improvement compared with conventional merge strategies.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Operation of Automated Guideway Transit Vehicles in Dynamically Reconfigured Trains and Platoons (Extended Summary)


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1979


    Size :

    112 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English