Optimization and Management of Urban Rail Transit Network

Dear Colleagues,

Urban transit plays a pivotal role in urban transportation networks due to its cost-efficient, environmentally friendly, and fast travel characteristics. It has become indispensable for passenger commuting, prompting major global cities to prioritize investments and construction. However, as transit systems undergo rapid expansion, numerous operational constraints have emerged, including difficulties in infrastructure maintenance, high train frequency, low network operational integration, and challenges in capturing passenger demand. These issues have intensified the pressure to develop new technological solutions. The study of urban transit systems is a multidisciplinary field that typically requires coupling trains and passengers. Developing urban transit systems that are capable of handling dynamic passenger behavior, integrated train–crew scheduling, transit network coordination, and unified monitoring–maintenance has grown increasingly crucial. Such advancements not only enhance the understanding of transit’s collaborative role within transportation networks but also contribute to research on urban travel behavior prediction and evaluation, thereby accelerating the coordinated development of urban transit networks. Numerical simulation, experimental testing, and data analysis also play significant roles in transit research, where virtual testing platforms serve as bridges to expedite new discoveries and developments.

This Special Issue aims to cover various aspects of urban transit train operation, passenger analysis, energy consumption, network construction, integrated systems, and their interactions with infrastructure. This includes the interaction between trains and crew, as well as the interaction between energy and infrastructure. Theoretical, experimental, and computational testing studies (or combinations thereof) are welcome. We encourage submissions involving transit trains and their interactions with passengers, crew, energy, and lines, among others.

Dr. Songpo Yang
Prof. Dr. Lishan Sun
Dr. Danni Cao
Guest Editors

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