Course Objectives

This module will give an introduction to public transport planning. The module will start with a discussion about the advantages / disadvantages and the functional characteristics of transit modes and their capacity. The geometry and types of transit lines and transit networks are the following topics. How to organize transfers and increase the transit speed to improve the passenger convenience and the efficiency of the public transport network are also topics discussed in this module. The introduction to public transport scheduling is the last topic in this module. The objective of this module is to provide in-depth knowledge about the planning and organizing of public transport networks.

This module is organised to provide an insight into the description of traffic flow with its numerous facets, coherencies and interdependencies as well as into urban traffic management and signal control. Basics: Variables of traffic flow, fundamental diagram, kinematic waves, stationary and momentary observation. Use of distributions for the modelling of delay and queuing processes. Introduction to traffic modelling. Microscopic modelling: kinematics and dynamics of driving, car-following-models, cellular engines. Macroscopic modelling: endogenous estimation of traffic relations. Urban traffic management and control: Basic concepts and system structures, general approach to signal control, design of signal plans, design of progressive signal systems.

This module will introduce the interrelation between transport and the environment. Moreover, this module will represent the concept of a sustainable transportation system. Some strategies for archiving such sustainable transportation system will be worked out and discussed with the students. The second part of this module introduces the basic principles and concepts of an assessment and evaluation of transport and logistics systems. The assets and drawbacks of different assessment methods (Cost-benefit analysis, Multi criteria analysis, Balancing and Discussion Method, Environmental Impact Assessment, Ranking, Cost – Efficiency – Analyse etc.) will be introduced, including application areas and initial constraints of specific assessment procedures will be discussed.

The students will learn how to use macro- and micro-simulation as a tool to assess traffic engineering and transport planning measures. This includes theoretical background of the methods implemented in the tools as well as extensive practical exercises in using the software and some advice how real world simulation projects can be structured. Additionally the students will have to gather their own data from the street to set up a realistic simulation of an own small example within the Singapore road network.

The module provides the basic knowledge about transport, mobility and urban planning. The main topics are: reasons for traffic, spatial and temporal traffic distribution, relationship between planning and design of the infrastructure and the assignment of functions in cities and conurbations, dependencies between supply and demand. The theory of travel demand modelling (4-steps-algorithm for travel demand estimation, etc.) is another important topic in this module.

The module covers comprehensive insight into highway planning design of safe, highly efficient and sustainable. It covers knowledge of road transport networks, the driver-vehicle-infrastructure interactions which served as guiding principles for road geometric design and pavement design, structural and functional performance, Nature-based Solutions (NBS) transport infrastructure, transport infrastructure for electromobility, and Pavement Management Systems. The students will study and apply road planning strategies and tools by designing the road alignment for a new project (case study).

This module aims to improve the understanding of the general approach of traffic control and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in the urban and the motorway context; it introduces the principles of different systems, their technical approaches and it analysis ITS applications in urban, extra-urban and integrated systems. It explains the objectives, measures, methods and algorithms of implementing ITS. The module builds on “Basics of Traffic Flow and Traffic Control” and is closely related to the module “Transportation Modelling and Simulation Tools”.

This module introduces the general requirements and procedures for rail infrastructure planning based on the running behaviour and the performance of rail vehicles. The module is discussing the specific wheel-rail interface, the effective forces guiding the wheel sets (equivalent conicity), the determination and evaluation of track quality, the requirements for designing track alignment and layout, the tools to determine cant and cant deficiency, the procedures to design transition elements, the tilting train technology, the operational demands and respective track arrangements for passenger, freight and operational stations. Requirements to ensure passenger comfort and safety are introduced.

This module provides an understanding of the forces acting between vehicle and track, the load distribution within the track superstructure into the substructure (Earthworks or civil structure) as well as the environmental impacts on the track performance, the respective general requirements for the design and the construction of rail infrastructure. In addition, this module will cover the rail track engineering required for the track design, the construction, the maintenance and the renewal of tracks for a variety of rail infrastructures (conventional and high speed). Conceptual design and structural performance of conventional and ballastless track systems will be discussed too.

This module provides the requirements and procedures for ballastless track system design for high-speed and conventional mainline rail infrastructure, the special features of Metro and light rail systems, the train track interactions, the track lay-out and alignment for urban rail systems, the track cross section design including trackside equipment, the sources, propagation and effects of noise and vibrations, the measures to control and to counteract noise and vibration, the design of special floating slab tracks, the environmental impacts, the design of green tracks, the design and construction of tram-tracks, the embedded track systems.

This module covers the wheel-rail interaction, running behaviour in curves and straight track, propulsion systems diesel, electricity AC and DC, energy efficiency including regenerative braking, running gear and vehicle construction, including primary and secondary suspension devices, wheelsets, bogie frames and body shells relevant norms and design rules, tendering procedure and homologation process, safety issues as collision safety derailment safety, fire safety, environmental aspects as external and internal noise, particle emission, space consumption, reliability, availability, maintainability, diagnosis systems and their environment and benefit.

This module introduces to the students to train control and signalling systems. The benefits and challenges of techniques used will be analysed. Turnout, signals, and all track based equipment, facilities, electronic interlocking and train control systems will be covered too. Risk analysis and assessment of electronic systems and management of train scheduling and transport risk will be discussed.

This module introduces students to the tools and methods of planning railway infrastructure using Computer Aided Design (CAD) software. Students will apply the requirements and rules set for railway planning to a student´s project by using a software package. The module will also introduce students to the Finite Element Method (FEM) for the modelling and analysis of track structures, subsystems and components used for the design and the evaluation of performance. Different approaches to creating Geometry models of these elements (specifically rail/sleeper) using AutoCAD and ANSYS will be explored. The basics of importing geometry files for FE analysis using ANSYS Workbench, performing simple analysis (modal, static structural), meshing methods (ICEM CFD, hexa, tetrahedron etc), compatibility of data transfer across different platforms will be explored. The module introduces the Multi-body simulation (MBS) as a tool to simulate and to analyse dynamic effects activated by a vehicle running along tracks equipped with different track geometry and track quality (rail roughness). It explains how to export FEM files to an MBS environment if advanced FEM-MBS co-simulation is applied, comparison of eigenfrequencies and eigenmodes between FEM and MBS platforms, construction of a simple railway track model, introduction to wheel-rail contact will be dealt with in this module.