Throughout 2022, Rubi Bahntechnik has been posting tips to help people move smoothly throughout cities with the hashtag #TrafficTuesday.
This article is one of the highlights from the series:
Countries like Japan and Switzerland have long shown that you can develop your existing infrastructure into something more suitable. RM Transit‘s video points out a few concrete steps how you can improve your rail lines using existing corridors.
Upgrading your vehicles is often the easiest step to improve your lines. Low-floor trains without internal divisions have a higher capacity. Light-rail vehicles might reduce journey times due to their acceleration and cornering speed, and increase passenger numbers due to their comfort.
Take the next step. Trams can be extended to become interurban lines. Light rail can be the foundation for either metros or S-Bahn systems. Slight tweaks to infrastructure can relieve bottlenecks and decrease journey times.
Don’t be afraid to do things differently. The theory on transit planning has become extensive and well-researched in recent years, but sometimes it’s still profitable to deviate from it. Zürich and Zug are examples where S-Bahn and interurban systems were introduced on existing normal-gauge tracks with extensions in the right places.
We would add another step: use networked thinking to evaluate your network. Some problems can be solved by tweaking signage in stations or making small changes to carriages and platforms. Switzerland’s integrated network shows what is possible if you prioritise scheduling.
This article was originally published by RUBI Bahntechnik.
