Optimal schedule design for a transit route with one intermediate time point

Abstract

This paper addresses schedule design for a bus route with one intermediate time point at which the schedule‐based holding control is enforced. Even for this simplified route, one has to face the basic decisions about what amount of slack time should be inserted in the schedule and whether the time point is necessary. These are determined in this paper by minimizing an expected total cost objective function which includes the passenger waiting time cost, delay cost to through passengers, delay/early penalty and operating cost. The holding control effects, properties of optimal solutions for special cases, and sensitivity analysis are presented. It is shown that the optimal design of a schedule is very sensitive to the passenger demand patterns along the route, and the time point is necessary only when the number of boarding passengers well predominates over the number of through passengers.