Collaborative Optimal Train Carriage Flexible Release Strategy and Passenger Flow Control Strategy for the Metro System

Abstract

In the oversaturated metro system, the mismatch between supply and demand leads to unequal allocation of train capacity at different stations, resulting in a transportation inequity issue. This paper proposes a collaborative optimization method to use train carriage flexible release strategy and passenger flow control strategy, which is described as a mixed‐integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model considering the trade‐off between equity and efficiency. To solve this model, it is reformulated into a mixed‐integer linear programming (MILP) model, which is solved by the GUROBI solver. An efficient variable neighborhood search algorithm is then proposed to find a high‐quality solution to the proposed problem. Finally, two sets of numerical experiments, including a small‐scale case and a real‐world case of Chengdu metro system, are conducted to verify the proposed model. The experimental results show that the train release scheme and passenger flow control scheme generated by our proposed method can perform well on the trade‐off between equity and efficiency.