Replacement service decisions for disruption recovery in light rail systems
Management of Environmental Quality
ISSN: 1477-7835
Article publication date: 5 June 2018
Issue publication date: 22 February 2019
Abstract
Purpose
Attracting commuters from driving to light rail systems has a good potential for reducing carbon emissions. However, the light rail system is interrupted by disruptions frequently, which reduces its attraction to passengers. Therefore, how to provide a quick replacement service during disruptions is of vital importance to avoid passengers change to other higher emission vehicles. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the decision analysis of the replacement tool for disruption recovery service in urban public light rail systems from the perspective of environmental effect.
Design/methodology/approach
The traditional approach – bus replacement service – and the new approach – taxi replacement service – which has been recently adopted by several cities, are examined individually and compared. The benefit of the light rail company is formulated by balancing between carbon emission and financial cost. The involving parties’ decision functions taking the passengers’ behaviors as well as numerous other important factors into account are formulated.
Findings
Both theoretical and numerical sensitivity analyses are conducted to shed light for light rail systems to better coping with disruptions, increasing service level, and attracting more passengers to the environmental transit system to reduce carbon emission.
Originality/value
It is worth mentioning that this research is a successful application for disruption recovery in a public transit system considering the environmental effect. To the authors’ knowledge, this research is one of the first of such applications in this area and can be used not only in the public light rail systems, but also in other urban public transport network components such as the subway and rail systems.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors sincerely thank the editor and the referees for their constructive comments. This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71531002), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation funded project (No. 2013M541593), Jiangsu Planned Projects for Postdoctoral Research Funds (No. 1302134C), Social Science Planning Fund Program of Liaoning Province (L17BGL015, L17BJL008), Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (BK20160742), Humanity and Social Science Youth Foundation of Ministry of Education of China (17YJC630048), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (NAU: KYZ201663; NAU: SKYC2017007; NAU: SKTS2016038; NAU: SKYZ2017025), and Project of Philosophy and Social Science Research in Colleges and Universities in Jiangsu (2017SJB0030).
This article forms part of a special section “Approach to management for environmental quality through sustainable consumption and production indicators”.
Citation
Fang, Y. and Jiang, Y. (2019), "Replacement service decisions for disruption recovery in light rail systems", Management of Environmental Quality, Vol. 30 No. 2, pp. 286-306. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-08-2017-0074
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited