Unravelling travel flow dynamics for a better public transport networks

This project studies how people move in the public transport network and offer methodologies capable of improving public transport services.

Smart cities and communities rely on efficient, reliable and robust transport systems. This project will contribute to a better understanding of how people move in different levels of the public transport network and offer new methodologies to adjust public transport services to respond to actual demand levels.

TRANS-FORM develops, implements and tests a decision-making tool that will support smart planning, and proactive and adaptive operations. The tool integrates new concepts and methods of behavioral modeling, passenger flow forecasting and network state predictions into real-time operations.

Three cases studies in the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland will measure how travellers transfer within terminals, urban and regional networks in order to develop methods for predicting passenger flows, quantify the reliability of passenger experience and evaluate strategies for improved coordination between travel modes, especially in case of disturbances.

This research project lasts three years, and it is the result of a cooperation between universities, industrial partners, public authorities and private operators. The Transport and Mobility Laboratory, directed by Prof. Michel Bierlaire, conducts the project for EPFL. It is sponsored by the European Commission.

Principal investigator Prof. Michel Bierlaire
Project managers Shadi Sharif Azadeh, Riccardo Scarinci
Sponsor EU Consortium/ERA-NET
Period 2016-19
Laboratory TRANSP-OR
Collaboration TRACE