Search Results (75)

The article reports findings from an experimental investigation into the impact of selected properties of recycled rubber on the static and dynamic parameters of continuous rail pads in ballastless tram track structures. The research methodology was developed based on the EN 13146-9 standard for fastening category A (tram) tracks, in accordance with the EN 13481-5 classification. The study focuses on continuous rail pads designed for the Vignole 49E1 rail profile. The authors developed a laboratory testing procedure and a method for determining both static and dynamic stiffness parameters. Additionally, they analyzed how these parameters depend on material characteristics such as Shore hardness, density, and thickness. Continuous rail pads play a crucial role in reducing vibrations and noise, as well as in ensuring the durability and safety of tram track infrastructure. The results indicate that the investigated prototype and recycled materials can be effectively adapted to meet the operational requirements of tram tracks. Improved understanding of rubber granulate derived from recycled car tires supports its application as an alternative to conventional vibration isolation materials. The results demonstrated an inverse relationship between pad thickness and both static and dynamic stiffness, while material density showed a strong positive correlation with Shore hardness and stiffness. These findings indicate that comparable stiffness levels can be achieved using materials with different combinations of density and thickness, providing recommendations for the design and optimization of sustainable resilient rail pads for tram track systems. Full article

Inductive power transfer (IPT) is a promising charging approach for rail trams because their trajectories are fixed, lateral displacement is constrained by the rails, and charging infrastructure can be installed at predetermined locations. Nevertheless, the long vehicle body, high power demand, variable air gap, and dynamic operating conditions of rail trams impose stringent requirements on magnetic-coupler design. This study proposes a bibliometric-assisted analytic hierarchy process (AHP) framework for the comprehensive performance evaluation of magnetic couplers used in rail–tram IPT systems. The framework considers five performance dimensions: power-efficiency characteristics, spatial characteristics, power density, time characteristics, and energy-transfer capability. Bibliometric keyword-occurrence statistics are introduced as an external source of evidence to support the initial construction of AHP judgment matrices, thereby reducing the exclusive dependence of conventional AHP on the judgments of a small expert group. A 2M2T low-floor tram is used as a case study, and two magnetic-coupler configurations, namely the $2\times 1$ and $3\times 1$ configurations, are evaluated using electromagnetic and circuit-simulation results. The case study illustrates the application of the proposed framework to the comparison of magnetic-coupler configurations under the operating and installation constraints of the investigated tram. The present validation is limited to simulation-based analysis of one tram platform and two configurations; further experimental and multi-configuration validation is required. Full article

Battery locomotives used in underground coal mining operations require continuous maintenance, and failures occurring during these operations pose significant occupational safety and health (OSH) risks. Traditional Risk Assessment Methods (TRAMs), particularly the Risk Matrix Method (RMM), often fail to capture the uncertainty and subjectivity inherent in complex mining environments. This study develops a fuzzy logic-based risk assessment framework to improve the evaluation of accident risks associated with maintenance and repair activities in battery locomotive workshops of an underground coal mine in Turkey. Two fuzzy inference models (FL-Basic and FL-Advanced) based on expert knowledge and linguistic variables were designed using Mamdani-type inference with centroid defuzzification. The mathematical formulation of the fuzzy inference and defuzzification steps is presented explicitly, and a six-step algorithm formalises the proposed framework. The rule base of FL-Advanced systematically upweights the severity dimension relative to RMM through reassignment of 16 of the 25 consequent categories. The outputs of these models were compared with RMM to analyse their effectiveness in identifying critical hazards. Application results from Karadon Hard Coal Company show that the proposed FL-Advanced model significantly reduces ambiguity, prioritises high-severity risks more realistically, and provides a more consistent decision-making structure for OSH specialists. The study highlights the advantages of fuzzy logic for modelling uncertain, incomplete, and human-dependent data in hazardous underground mining conditions. Full article

Modern cyber–physical infrastructures rely heavily on alarm and notification systems to direct human attention when abnormal conditions occur. These mechanisms support timely and safe responses by informing operators and occupants about potential hazards. At the same time, research in human factors has shown that repeated or excessive alerts can weaken vigilance, slow reactions, and reduce confidence in warning systems. This behavioral pattern is commonly described as alarm fatigue. This paper examines how that vulnerability can be exploited intentionally. We refer to this adversarial strategy as alarm poisoning: the deliberate injection of false or misleading alerts in order to increase alarm pressure, erode trust in the monitoring infrastructure, and degrade organizational responsiveness over time. To study this process, we develop a stochastic Cybersecurity Dynamics model representing the interaction among attackers, defenders, alarm infrastructure, and a population of employees. Employee behavior is modeled through evolving trust and fatigue levels, while the overall system is formulated as a continuous–time Markov chain and simulated using the Gillespie Stochastic Simulation Algorithm. A Monte–Carlo campaign is used to analyze the resulting socio–technical dynamics under alternative attacker strategies. The study evaluates time-dependent trust, fatigue, and alarm-pressure trajectories, the distribution of times to behavioral collapse, and defender timing through Trust–Resilience–Agility–Mitigation (TRAM) metrics. The revised analysis also includes replication-sufficiency diagnostics, one-at-a-time sensitivity analysis, and threshold-robustness checks for the collapse criterion. The results show that false alarms with high perceived severity drive alarm pressure upward and degrade trust faster than nuisance-dominated campaigns, even when the total fake-alarm intensity is held constant across strategies. Collapse timing remains highly variable across stochastic realizations, and a non-negligible fraction of runs do not reach the collapse threshold within the simulation horizon. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the main qualitative ranking of attacker strategies is robust across most tested perturbations, with fatigue recovery and defender escalation emerging as particularly influential mechanisms. Overall, the findings support the view that alarm poisoning is a credible socio–technical attack vector and highlight the importance of rapid mitigation, robust alarm management, and human-centered defensive design in cyber–physical security systems. Full article

The concentration of tourist flows along short urban links caused by cruise stops in medium-sized Mediterranean ports exacerbates traffic and localized environmental externalities. This study evaluates the willingness to pay (WTP) of cruise passengers for an electric tram that would connect the Gaženica Port with Zadar’s historic center, an intervention designed to cut travel time and reduce on-street congestion and emissions. Over the course of two seasons, a two-wave, two-site, in-person survey was conducted at the port and in the city center. The instrument adopts a double-bounded dichotomous choice (DBDC) contingent valuation design with randomized starting bids that were calibrated using a pre-test that benchmarked prevailing transport pricing. Primary WTP estimates are obtained from a binary choice model with socio-demographic and environmental covariates; whereby inference relies on cluster-robust errors. Robustness is assessed through three complementary checks that do not require additional data: (i) a bivariate specification to account for within-respondent correlation between first and follow-up bids; (ii) Turnbull nonparametric bounds for the interval-censored WTP distribution; and (iii) starting-point tests using split-sample estimation and bid-set indicators. A spike adjustment based on “no–no at the lowest bid” responses is explored where appropriate. Beyond its methodological contribution, this research advances the sustainable tourism development discourse by quantifying visitors’ financial support for low-emission urban mobility infrastructure that mitigates environmental stresses while preserving residential life quality. The results integrate cruise tourist management with the more general goals of resilient and sustainable urban destinations by offering a decision-ready value input for port-city mobility planning in historic Mediterranean centers. Full article

Under growing urbanization and environmental challenges, sustainable urban mobility has become a critical priority for cities worldwide. Public Transport (PT) systems play a central role in reducing car dependency, lowering emissions, increasing network capacity, and promoting more equitable and efficient access to urban spaces for all users. Hence, the present paper aims to investigate PT preferences in the city of Larissa, Greece. Larissa is a medium-sized city currently serviced only by buses, and is currently focusing on the potential introduction of a new tram system to operate in parallel with existing bus services. To this end, a SP survey was designed and implemented, resulting in 972 observations that were collected for further statistical analysis. Survey results show a slight preference for trams over buses, with 54.63% selecting the tram and 45.37% favoring the buses. Moreover, a context-based segmentation pipeline was established using PCA, DBSCAN and t-SNE algorithms, aiding the visualization of existing clusters for transport choice approaches. Afterwards, a series of mixed logit models was applied, and statistically significant variables influencing mode choice were determined. The study also examines Value of Time (VoT) metrics and finds that respondents assign lower VoTs to trams than to buses, especially in out-of-vehicle segments of the journey, such as waiting and walking, and therefore consider trams as more pleasant and less burdensome. The findings also indicate that passengers place a high value on the quality of infrastructure related to access and waiting times, underlining the need to improve the overall user experience beyond the vehicle itself. In summary, the present research offers valuable insights into how the introduction of a tram system could possibly reshape PT usage patterns when compared with the legacy existing bus services. Full article

Background/Objectives: With increasing survival rates following oncologic mastectomies, loss of breast sensation can negatively impact a patient’s quality of life. Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched in April 2025 for studies reporting sensory outcomes after neurotized breast reconstruction. Eligible studies included patients undergoing autologous or implant-based reconstruction with any neurotization technique. Forty studies were included, and outcomes involved objective sensory testing (e.g., Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments, pressure-specified sensory devices, and thermal thresholds) and patient-reported quality of life (e.g., BREAST-Q). Results: Neurotization consistently accelerated and improved recovery of tactile, thermal, and protective sensation compared with non-neurotized controls, particularly in DIEP and TRAM flaps. Direct coaptation was most frequently employed, while nerve allografts, conduits, and autologous grafts offered effective alternatives when direct repair was not feasible. Implant-based reconstructions using allografts also demonstrated significant improvements in the nipple–areola complex and breast skin sensation. Across studies, earlier and more uniform sensory return was reported, with improved sensation often associated with high patient satisfaction and quality of life. Conclusions: The preponderance of observational evidence suggests that nerve coaptation, whether by direct suture, conduit, allograft, or autograft, represents a promising adjunct to breast reconstruction in both autologous and implant-based reconstruction. However, many studies were retrospective in design, had small sample sizes, and lacked randomization. Full article

This article examines differences between conventional manual measurements of tram operations and data extracted automatically using the REWIZOR program, based on the Yolo10s algorithm. The study addresses the broader question of how artificial intelligence can support analyses of passenger exchange processes in public transport and improve the efficiency of data collection. Measurements conducted in four Polish cities included tram types, stop times, and detailed boarding and alighting durations, while the REWIZOR software enabled automatic detection of stop times and passenger flows based on video recordings. The results show that, although both approaches yield consistent qualitative information regarding doors and passenger counts, significant quantitative discrepancies arise. These differences stem mainly from methodological inconsistencies and varying definitions of boarding, alighting, and stop times, as well as from software-related detection errors. The findings indicate that AI-based measurements require calibration against reference methods to allow reliable comparison with conventional datasets. As currently implemented, REWIZOR can be used effectively for internal analyses of passenger flows, if all compared data come from the same system. Further development—such as implementing simultaneous tracking of people and heads—may considerably improve accuracy and facilitate wider applicability in public transport studies. Full article

Efficient real-time computer vision-based passenger flow analysis is increasingly important for the management of intelligent transportation systems and smart cities. This paper presents the design and implementation of a system for real-time object detection, tracking, and people counting in tram stations. The proposed approach integrates YOLO-based detection with a lightweight tracking module and is deployed on an NVIDIA Jetson Nano device, enabling operation under resource constraints and demonstrating the potential of edge AI. Multiple YOLO versions, from v3 to v11, were evaluated on data collected in collaboration with Metropolitano de Tenerife. Experimental results show that YOLOv5s achieves the best balance between detection accuracy and inference speed, reaching 96.85% accuracy in counting tasks. The system demonstrates the feasibility of applying edge AI to monitor passenger flow in real time, contributing to intelligent transportation and smart city initiatives. Full article

This paper presents a Vibration-based Track Anomaly Detection (VTAD) system designed for real-time monitoring of urban tram infrastructure. The novelty of VTAD is that it converts existing public transport vehicles into distributed mobile sensor platforms, eliminating the need for specialized diagnostic trains. The system integrates low-cost micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) accelerometers, Global Positioning System (GPS) modules, and Espressif 32-bit microcontrollers (ESP32) with wireless data transmission via Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT), enabling scalable and continuous condition monitoring. A stringent ±6σ statistical threshold was applied to vertical vibration signals, minimizing false alarms while preserving sensitivity to critical faults. Field tests conducted on multiple tram routes in Zagreb, Croatia, confirmed that the VTAD system can reliably detect and locate anomalies with meter-level accuracy, validated by repeated measurements. These results show that VTAD provides a cost-effective, scalable, and operationally validated predictive maintenance solution that supports integration into intelligent transportation systems and smart city infrastructure. Full article

Ensuring accessibility in urban public spaces is a key challenge for contemporary cities, particularly in the context of ageing populations, socio-spatial inequalities, and the global call for inclusive urban development. Despite its importance, accessibility is often treated as a cross-cutting issue rather than as a central objective in planning practice. This study examines how accessibility can be addressed in participatory urban public space design through a geodesign workshop conducted with architecture students from the University of Alicante. Focusing on the area along Line 2 of the TRAM light-rail network in Alicante, Spain, the workshop applied the geodesign framework in four iterative phases: system analysis, stakeholder role-play, design negotiation, and consensus building. The workshop participants represented six stakeholder groups with varying objectives and priorities, proposing micro-interventions in vulnerable urban areas aimed at improving walkability, surface conditions, and access to services. The role-play phase highlighted contrasting views on accessibility, particularly emphasised by groups representing older adults and people with disabilities. Negotiation revealed both alliances and tensions, while the final consensus reflected a moderate but meaningful inclusion of wide accessibility concerns. The resulting proposals showed spatial awareness of socio-territorial inequalities. The findings suggest that geodesign fosters critical thinking, collaboration, and empathy in future urban professionals; however, challenges persist regarding inclusivity, contextual adaptation, and integration into practice. Future work should explore long-term impacts and co-creation of accessibility standards. Full article

Simulators are an effective tool for improving tram driver training. In urban rail transportation, the fidelity of reproducing the driver’s working environment is crucial due to the high diversity of vehicle models. This study presents a structured assessment model for evaluating the mapping of a tram driver’s console in a universal simulator. The model is based on expert judgment and utilizes fuzzy logic to evaluate four key criteria: perspective, button placement, functionality, and time required to locate safety buttons. A group of 30 experts, including experienced tram drivers and technical specialists, assessed the fidelity of the simulated consoles for three tram types: Solaris Tramino S105p, Moderus Gamma LF 06 AC, and Škoda 16T RK. The results enable the classification of console fidelity levels (low, moderate, high) and support the identification of design inconsistencies. The proposed model provides a standardized tool for assessing simulator realism, which can be applied by transport operators, manufacturers, and training centers to improve simulator configurations. Researchers may also use the model as a methodological framework for further evaluation studies involving human–machine interface fidelity. Full article

Bratislava is currently experiencing massive development, and its developers are very active. As the city develops, the improvement of its public transport becomes increasingly crucial. Public transport (PT) must be ecological, economical, and accessible to all social groups of the population. Bratislava currently has the opportunity to change the modal split in favor of PT and thus end the decline that began in the early 1990s. Rail transport is an ecological type of PT incorporated into smart cities, contributing to city land use. The current PT rail track in Bratislava comprises tram and train infrastructure. Trains ensure the transportation of people from the municipalities surrounding Bratislava, while trams ensure the transportation of people within the city. Tram and train PT must be merged, as their integration could improve traveling times. Bratislava is suitable for the creation of a dual rail transport system covering the urbanized area. The goal of this article is to present a technical solution for a double-gauge system for operation, considering traffic engineering and planning to aid decision making. Considerable professional and expert work was undertaken, in contrast to the political administration’s “decision making”. Cases from Central Europe are presented. Full article

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are among the most prevalent occupational health issues, particularly affecting public transport drivers due to prolonged sitting, constrained postures, and poorly adaptable cabins. This study addresses the ergonomic risks associated with tram driving, aiming to evaluate biomechanical load and postural stress in relation to drivers’ anthropometric characteristics. A combined methodological approach was applied, integrating two standardized observational tools—RULA and REBA—with anthropometric modeling based on three representatives European morphotypes (SmallW, MidM, and TallM). ErgoFellow 3.0 software was used for digital posture evaluation, and lumbar moments at the L4/L5 vertebral level were calculated to estimate lumbar loading. The analysis was simulation-based, using digital human models, and no real subjects were involved. The results revealed uniform REBA (Rapid Entire Body Assessment) and RULA (Rapid Upper Limb Assessment) scores of 6 across all morphotypes, indicating moderate to high risk and a need for ergonomic intervention. Lumbar moments ranged from 51.35 Nm (SmallW) to 101.67 Nm (TallM), with the tallest model slightly exceeding the recommended ergonomic thresholds. These findings highlight a systemic mismatch between cabin design and user variability. In conclusion, ergonomic improvements such as adjustable seating, better control layout, and driver education are essential to reduce the risk of WMSDs. The study proposes a replicable methodology combining anthropometric, observational, and biomechanical tools for evaluating and improving transport workstation design. Full article

Surface-guided tram systems are increasingly being recognised not only as mobility instruments but also as agents of urban regeneration that reshape spatial and social dynamics. This study evaluates the configurational impact of the Trambesòs tram in Barcelona on accessibility, integration, and urban cohesion within the Levante del Besòs area. A Space Syntax analysis was conducted in UCL DepthmapX for axial map analysis and visual graph analysis within a 500 m radius around each station. Three typologies of intervention (site-specific, articulation axes, and saturation pieces) guided the assessment. This analysis shows that Avinguda Diagonal and Avinguda Meridiana are primary structural corridors, while stations Glòries, Ca l’Aranyó, and Pere IV recorded the highest accessibility and visual openness. The results indicate that targeted interventions have positive impacts on the Space Syntax metrics regardless of their spatial centrality, highlighting the critical role of this diverse intervention typology in shaping the study area’s spatial configuration and influencing a hierarchy of social appropriation and use. It is concluded that the Trambesòs tram and associated urban interventions have jointly enhanced centrality and permeability in key sectors, and specific peripheral enclaves have local functioning. These findings, focused on spatial and morphological patterns, may support future interventions in urban design and mobility planning. Although the analysis centres on spatial configuration, future research may integrate socioeconomic variables to broaden the understanding of regeneration processes. Full article