An operational strategy to increase average door-to-door speeds of metro systems in megalopoleis

The increase in average speeds with the predominance of the automobile has led to a geographical expansion of megalopoleis in the form of longer distances travelled. This paradigm has emphasised the systemic shortcomings of public transport systems. Current metro infrastructures are inherently hindered by a paradox between the time to access stations and the average speed on the line, which prevents them offering sufficient door-to-door speeds to compete with the car. The solution proposed in this paper comprises an operational strategy where autonomous vehicles stop in different patterns at stations along a line. It is proposed that vehicles will travel in platoons and are controlled by vehicle-to-vehicle communication algorithms similarly to automated highways. Simulations show that this strategy can reduce the time to access stations by 50% while increasing average speed on the line by 65% and reduce door-to-door journey times by approximately 42% compared to conventional metro operations. In addition, capacity is also increased by 30% within the conventional platform lengths.