The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

CSE40407 DESIGN OF TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

Tutorial 4 Railway Line Capacity

Question 1 – Line Capacity of East Rail Line (with partially real information)

This question makes use of partially real information extracted from MTR business overview and
some assumed parameters.
Assume:
𝑙𝑙 ′ = 24.3 𝑚𝑚
𝑎𝑎 = 1.0 𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠 2
𝑡𝑡𝑟𝑟 = 0 sec
𝑏𝑏𝑛𝑛 = 1.0 𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠 2
𝑏𝑏𝑒𝑒 = 1.4 𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠 2
𝐾𝐾 = 1.3
𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑜 = 2𝑚𝑚
𝑡𝑡𝑠𝑠 = 40 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠
𝑣𝑣 = 33𝑘𝑘𝑚𝑚/ℎ
𝐶𝐶𝑣𝑣 = 350

* the “designed maximum” for East Rail Line here

still considers the use of 12-car train.

Recall from our discussion in lecture that upon the commissioning of Shatin and Central Link, i.e.
the cross harbour section of East Rail Line (ERL) , ERL can no longer operate with 12-car trains.
Why cannot build new sta�ons
that can accommodate 12 -car
trains?

Headway reduc�on

Source: government press release Let’s do some math!

LCQ1: Allevia�ng the loading of MTR East Rail Line
h�ps ://www.i nfo.gov.hk/gi a /genera l /202206/15/P2022061500301.htm

CSE40407 - Topic 3. Railways - Dr Barbara SIU (barbara.siu@polyu.edu.hk) 89

1. Offered line capacity under the current headway
Given:
• Current headway during morning peak period = 2.7 mins or 162 sec
[source: MTR System data (East Rail Line, morning peak hour)]
• 𝑛𝑛 = 9 (i.e. 9 train cars per TU, assume no first-class compartment, all train cars have the same
capacity)

3600𝑛𝑛𝐶𝐶𝑣𝑣
𝐶𝐶 = =
h

Why 3600 is used in the expression?

Should the unit be sps/hr (spaces per hour) or prs/hr (passengers per hour)?]

2. Compute ℎ𝑠𝑠 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 , ℎ𝑤𝑤 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 and compare with current operating headway during morning peak

Given: Expressions for minimum way headway and station headway

2𝑛𝑛𝑙𝑙 ′ 𝑛𝑛𝑙𝑙 ′ 𝑣𝑣 (𝐾𝐾 + 1)
ℎ𝑠𝑠 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 = 𝑡𝑡𝑠𝑠 + � + 𝑡𝑡𝑟𝑟 + +
𝑎𝑎 𝑣𝑣 2𝑏𝑏
𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑜 + 𝑛𝑛𝑙𝑙 ′ 𝑣𝑣 𝑏𝑏1 −𝑏𝑏2
ℎ𝑤𝑤 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 = + 𝑡𝑡𝑟𝑟 + ∙
𝑣𝑣 2 𝑏𝑏1 𝑏𝑏2
To use the above expressions, we need to substitute suitable values for 𝑏𝑏1 and 𝑏𝑏2
according to the operational safety regime (a/b/c/d/e).
Metro systems (indeed all high-capacity/ off-street systems) normally operate under
safety regime a -> highest safety]

For 𝑛𝑛 = 9 (current situation)

2𝑛𝑛𝑙𝑙 ′ 𝑛𝑛𝑙𝑙 ′ 𝑣𝑣 (𝐾𝐾 + 1)
ℎ𝑠𝑠 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 = 𝑡𝑡𝑠𝑠 + � + 𝑡𝑡𝑟𝑟 + + =
𝑎𝑎 𝑣𝑣 2𝑏𝑏

𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑜 + 𝑛𝑛𝑙𝑙 ′ 𝑣𝑣 𝑏𝑏1 −𝑏𝑏2

ℎ𝑤𝑤 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 = + 𝑡𝑡𝑟𝑟 + ∙ =
𝑣𝑣 2 𝑏𝑏1 𝑏𝑏2

ℎ𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 = max{ℎ𝑠𝑠 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 , ℎ𝑤𝑤 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 } =

About rounding
In practise, we round headways to some convenient units (e.g. 1 sec, 10 seconds, 1
minute, etc. depending on the operation). Since both way headway and station
headway are about safety, we always round up.

For n = 12?
If the same calculation is repeated for 𝑛𝑛 = 12, ℎ𝑠𝑠 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 = 107 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠, ℎ𝑤𝑤 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 = 39 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠.
Due to the longer length of TU (𝑛𝑛𝑙𝑙 ′ ), the corresponding minimum way headway and
station headway are both longer than 9-car trains, as expected.

The current operating headway (162 sec) is larger than both the min. station headway
and min. way headway.
i.e. the operating headway can be further shortened to 96 sec (or 107 sec in case of 12-
car trains) to increase the line capacity.
(However, the limitations due to signalling system has not been considered here.)
3. Compute and compare the line capacity under ℎ𝑠𝑠 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 with 𝑡𝑡𝑠𝑠 = 40 and 60 sec respectively
(continue with 𝑛𝑛 = 9). Discuss how much margin to we have in further shortening the
headway?
• With 𝑡𝑡𝑠𝑠 = 40, ℎmin = ℎ𝑠𝑠 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 = 96 sec (from part (2)). 𝐶𝐶 =

• With 𝑡𝑡𝑠𝑠 = 60, ℎmin = ℎs min = 116 sec. 𝐶𝐶 =

Shortening ℎ to ℎ𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 could increase the line capacity.

But practically we may need to leave some margins for 𝑡𝑡𝑠𝑠 due to heavy boarding/
alighting volumes during peak periods.
Consider if we assumed 𝑡𝑡𝑠𝑠 =40 sec and scheduled trains at 96 sec intervals. If the
boarding and alighting process often takes longer than 40 sec, it would delays all the
trains downstream!

4. Furthermore, if the passenger volume at the busiest section (i.e. Maximum Load Segment/ MLS)
is 57200 prs/hr, compute the load factor under the current headway of 162sec during morning
peak.
𝑃𝑃 = hourly passenger volume on the MLS = 57200 prs/hr
𝐶𝐶 = offered line capacity under ℎ = 162𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 (part (1) = 70000 sps/hr
𝛼𝛼 = 𝑃𝑃/𝐶𝐶 =

Load factor 𝛼𝛼 is reflecting the degree of utilization of transit service.

5. 12-car vs 9-car trains

Let’s try to examine by how much the train headway needs to reduce in order to maintain the same
offered line capacity. Let ℎ1 denote the headway in case of 12-car trains, and ℎ2 denote that of 9-car
train.

If we wish to main the same level of offered line capacity, it means

3600𝑛𝑛1 𝐶𝐶𝑣𝑣 3600𝑛𝑛2 𝐶𝐶𝑣𝑣 3600 ∙ 12 ∙ 𝐶𝐶𝑣𝑣 3600 ∙ 9 ∙ 𝐶𝐶𝑣𝑣 9
𝐶𝐶1 = 𝐶𝐶2 ⇒ = ⇒ = ⇒ ℎ2 = ℎ = 0.75ℎ1
ℎ1 ℎ2 ℎ1 ℎ2 12 1

Refer back to the press release (p.1 of this handout). If ERL used to operate at ℎ1 = 3
minutes during morning peak, shortening ℎ2 to 0.75 × 3 = 2.25 minutes (135 sec) could
offer the same line capacity.

[Theoretical discussion] How about the maximum possible line capacity (i.e. we use ℎ𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 ,
the minimum headway permitted by safety)?

Recall from part (2) that ℎ1 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 = 107 sec, the corresponding 𝐶𝐶 = 141380 sps/hr
To maintain the same maximum line capacity, we need to be able to reduce ℎ2 to
0.75 × 107 = 80.25 (𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑛𝑛𝑟𝑟 𝑡𝑡𝑟𝑟 81 seconds).
However, ℎ𝑠𝑠 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 for 𝑛𝑛 = 9 is 96 sec. Thus, the maximum possible line capacity with 9-
car trains is 𝐶𝐶 = 118125 sps/hr (-16.4%)
Question 2 – Multiple platforms
Normally, due to the long station dwell time 𝑡𝑡𝑠𝑠 ,
minimum station headway ℎ𝑠𝑠 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 ≫ minimum way headway ℎ𝑤𝑤 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛
(refer to the numerical example in question 1 part 2)
so that station headway normally governs the maximum possible line capacity (under safety
conditions).

Assume for a hypothetical railway line that:

ℎ𝑤𝑤 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 = 2 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛𝑠𝑠, ℎ𝑠𝑠 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛 = 5 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑛𝑛𝑠𝑠

• If this line has 1 track and 1 platform (in one direction) only. Minimum headway =

• If this line has 1 track and 2 platforms. Minimum headway =

• If this line has 1 track and 3 platforms. Minimum headway =

Station headway normally governs line capacity.

However, special station features may relax the constrain.
⇒ infrastructure planning at early stage, expansion in an existing station (build
additional platforms or accommodate longer trains (increase 𝑛𝑛)) is difficult.