The Netherlands is highly dependent on interconnected infrastructure networks. Electricity, digital connections, transport and drinking water are part of an integrated system in which disruption can quickly spread to other parts of the system. National evaluations have concluded that the Netherlands is not sufficiently prepared to deal with crises that are becoming more complex, longer, and harder to predict. Due to threats such as climate change, infectious disease, geopolitical conflict, and digitalization. Dutch crisis policy explicitly frames preparedness as a shared, network-oriented responsibility between ministries, safety regions and infrastructure organizations, yet this network-oriented approach is difficult to organize in practice: regional and national risk analyses often remain disconnected, functional-chain partners are only partially involved in planning, and cooperation is repeatedly hindered by bottlenecks in operational coordination and information management. Existing Dutch literature offers far less insight into the concrete organizational and inter-organizational practices through which infrastructure actors actually prepare for crisis, and into how these practices shape reliable performance once a disruption occurs. This research addresses that gap by asking: How do actors in infrastructure networks organize crisis preparedness, and how do these practices shape reliable performance during crisis?

The study uses a qualitative multiple case study design combined with explaining-outcome process tracing across three Dutch incidents: the 2023 Voorschoten train derailment, the 2023 structural failure at the Grave weir, and the 2021 Limburg floods. For each case, four key moments were analyzed: preparation, first reaction, peak crisis, and recovery. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with actors from ProRail, Rijkswaterstaat, Waterboard Limburg and Enexis, and document and evaluation-reports. The analysis is guided by a theoretical framework that integrates network governance theory, High-Reliability Network (HRN) theory, High-Reliability Organization (HRO) theory, and Naturalistic Decision-Making (NDM) theory.

Across all three cases, organizational-level reliability was consistently strong, while network-level reliability was constrained by two recurring weaknesses: incomplete shared situational awareness and limited collective capacity to learn from near misses. This gap is currently bridged by informal, person-dependent practices like individual expertise, long-built personal relationships, and institutional memory. Improvisation emerges not as a failure of preparation but as a prepared capability, enabled by experience, trust, and clear mandates. However, this reliance on informal mechanisms creates vulnerabilities under extreme scenarios: person-dependence strained by fatigue and turnover, contractor relationships sized for single rather than simultaneous failures, immature network coordination, and uncertain future availability of the armed forces.

The main conclusion is that reliable performance during infrastructure crisis is not produced by formal preparedness alone, but by the interaction between formal preparedness and informal capabilities. Protocols give experienced actors a structure to adapt from. Mandate structure give them authority to act. Contractor frameworks give improvisation its resources. without the informal layer, the formal layer lacks operational content. Without the formal layer, informal capability lacks structure and legitimacy. The main recommendation for the infrastructure network is therefore that the network should invest more in preparing together, rather than primarily in their own organization. The gap in network reliability is currently bridged by informal, person-dependent improvisation but the research shows that this is unlikely to hold in more extreme incidents. ... Read more

Infrastructure and spatial planning decision-making has traditionally been dominated by expert-driven frameworks that prioritise technical feasibility, efficiency, and financial performance, often overlooking broader societal value considerations. Participatory Value Evaluation (PVE) has emerged as a method that enables citizens to evaluate policy and project alternatives from the perspective of a policymaker, revealing societal preferences and value trade-offs. Yet little is known about what happens after a PVE is conducted. This research addresses that gap through an abductive qualitative multiple-case study of five Dutch infrastructure and spatial planning projects, complemented by a literature review and an expert focus group. In doing so, it examines how participatory insights inform and interact with expert-driven processes and which factors shape their influence. The empirical findings showed that PVE outcomes rarely play a directly decisive role in subsequent optimisation and decision-making processes. Instead, their influence is typically indirect, predominantly serving supportive, legitimising, agenda-setting, and confirming functions, while strategic, symbolic, and decisive uses occur only to a limited extent. Their influence is shaped by a complex interplay of contextual, methodological, epistemological, and institutional factors. The findings further suggest that explicit consideration should be given to the intended application purpose of the PVE, its timing within the project life cycle, the level of abstraction, the institutional conditions, and the mechanisms through which participatory knowledge is translated and integrated into expert-driven planning and optimisation processes. The research concludes that PVE can meaningfully inform and interact with expert-driven optimisation and decision-making when appropriately designed, timed, and embedded. Rather than treating PVE outcomes merely as contextual information, its outcomes should become an integral part of broader project assessments, knowledge environments, and decision-making processes, enabling participatory insights to be considered throughout the project life cycle. The value of PVE therefore lies not in replacing expert judgement, but in enriching the knowledge environment within which optimisation and decision-making take place. By identifying the conditions and mechanisms that facilitate this integration, the study advances current understanding of participatory knowledge utilisation while providing practical guidance for developing more socially embedded infrastructure and spatial planning processes.
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Urban mobility systems are under increasing pressure to deliver higher service frequencies, with metro terminal stations frequently acting as critical capacity bottlenecks. In manually operated legacy networks (GoA 1), improving terminal performance forces a strict operational trade-off. Reversing trains directly at the passenger platform reduces cycle times but creates severe infrastructure conflicts, whereas long turnarounds in the tail track avoid these conflicts but are time-consuming. To overcome these limitations without converting the entire network to full Grade of Automation 4 (GoA 4), an alternative approach is to implement targeted hybrid automation. This involves automating only the tail-track reversing movement while maintaining manual mainline operations, an operational concept that remains underexplored in current academic literature.

This thesis investigates the overall benefits and challenges of introducing GoA 4-based automated turnaround operations, known by the Dutch industry acronym ALK (Automatisch Lang Keren), within the Amsterdam metro network. Conducted in collaboration with the operator GVB, the research evaluates the impact of this hybrid automation on terminal capacity, system resilience, and organisational frameworks.

The methodology combines qualitative workflow analysis with quantitative micro-simulation and expert stakeholder validation. Swimlane diagrams were used to map the functional shift in responsibilities between drivers and automated systems. Subsequently, Timed Petri Nets (TPN) were employed to simulate turnaround cycles, capturing the complex interdependencies between deterministic system logic and stochastic human task durations. The model evaluated two terminal stations (Noord and Isolatorweg) and two fleet types (the 116-meter M5 and 60-meter M7) under both nominal and degraded conditions.

The simulation results demonstrate that ALK reduces the driver's physical workload, converting continuous manual effort into a structural cognitive break ranging from 81 to 110 seconds during the turnaround manoeuvre. Furthermore, it can speed up the process, although this depends on the characteristics of the tail track layout and the rolling stock. For the longer M5 fleet, this yields a service reversal cycle time reduction of up to 23.4\%, which directly translates into a higher theoretical maximum capacity (e.g., increasing from 11 to 15 Trains Per Hour at Station Noord) and creates larger operational buffers. However, these gains are highly fleet-dependent; the shorter M7 fleet experiences limited benefits because the time saved by eliminating the physical walk is largely offset by the newly introduced human-machine handover and system activation procedures. Expert validation of the model refined these process durations, granting the automated system an additional 20-second advantage.

Furthermore, the research highlights a critical trade-off between timetable stability and system resilience. While ALK improves consistency and buffers under normal conditions, it introduces severe vulnerabilities during technical failures. If a remote system reset of the on-board ATC equipment fails in the driverless tail track, manual rescue operations can delay the process by up to 329 seconds, requiring up to 24 minutes for full timetable recovery. Organisationally, the transition to ALK creates a gap in operational ownership during the driverless phase and does not inherently reduce labour, as new dedicated platform staff and trackside shunters are required to ensure safe dispatch and rapid incident response.

In conclusion, implementing GoA 4 automated turnarounds offers capacity and predictability benefits for GoA 1 metro networks and reduces the train driver's workload during turnarounds, particularly for long train units. However, the successful deployment of this hybrid system is conditional. It requires operators to establish clear safety frameworks for the driverless zone, redefine operational responsibility, and execute a phased rollout supported by extensive driver coaching to mitigate the inherent risks of human-machine transitions. Finally, future research should integrate empirical human data, incorporate passenger flow dynamics, and utilise macroscopic network models to fully understand the broader network-wide impacts of hybrid automation. ... Read more

This thesis studies which delay and efficiency factors play a role in the planning phases of Dutch infrastructure renewal projects. By combining a literature review, a multiple-case study, and expert validation, the research shows that delays mainly arise from unclear scope, stakeholder dependency with fragmented collaboration, and reactive knowledge-based risk management. The study also identifies and assesses improvement directions related to standardisation, repeatability, and knowledge reuse within portfolio-based projects. The main conclusion is that faster progression requires not only more efficient processes, but also better coordination, earlier scope convergence, and stronger organisational learning across comparable projects. ... Read more

The Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA Station (ABAS) is a unique and complex station area within the Dutch public transport network. It is located in the rapidly growing Amsterdam Zuid Oost, where the station serves a dual function that creates operational tensions. On the one hand, it acts as a critical daily commuter hub for the residents and workers of the area. On the other hand, it serves as the primary entrance to the largest entertainment district in the Netherlands, hosting three major venues: the Johan Cruijff ArenA, the Ziggo Dome and AFAS Live.
Currently, there is no standardised tool or benchmark in the Netherlands to identify such specific event related transit nodes. Because of the unique characteristics of the Amsterdam Bijlmer Arena Station,
there is the opportunity to compare this Dutch complex station to other nodes in Europe in the event context. This thesis addresses that gap by analysing the current system and looking across the border to
find best practices in Europe. As well as coming up with a structured way to assess these observations and to systematically operationalise the comparison. Therefore, the main research questions are:
1. "How is the redevelopment of Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA Station approached in terms of integrated decision-making, and what lessons can be drawn from comparable international transit-nodes in event context?”
2. “How can recurring aspects from international cases be systematically operationalised in a Comparison Tool, and how can this tool be implemented and applied to a complex multi-actor
infrastructure project like ABAS?”

This research concludes that while Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA is a mature and critical node in the Dutch network, its physical design can learn and profit from European transit nodes in the event-context to improve its operational performance. The Comparison Tool from this research is an effective instrument to identify maturity gaps in the researched aspect, making the translation from qualitative insights to measurable differences. In addition, for stations near event areas, the tool is especially relevant because it highlights
aspects that traditional infrastructure planning often misses. Hence, this comparison tool can be a powerful communication aid in the early phases of an infrastructure project. Especially for different
stakeholder arenas, like the analytical arena, where specialists justify certain design choices, and also the policy arena, where those elements and choices are translated to the main stakeholders involved. ... Read more

Designing railway stations is complex due to the diverse interests that must be brought together in an integrated design. One way to address this is by involving people in the design process. ProRail has plans to build four new stations along the Oude Lijn (the railway line between Leiden and Dordrecht): Schiedam Kethel, Rijswijk Buiten, Dordrecht Leerpark and Rotterdam van Nelle. ProRail was looking for a digital, upscalable method to determine the design preferences of a representative group. In this research, the focus was therefore on the following main research question: How can design choices for small railway stations along the Oude Lijn be aligned with user preferences through an appropriate digital participation approach? Scientific literature, Spoorbeeld documents and interviews are used to determine relevant design factors to choose from when creating attractive stations. The resulting set of factors was large and existing participation methods were unable to handle this level of complexity. Therefore, a new survey method was developed that uses conditional randomization. In this survey, (future) users were asked to indicate their design preferences by assigning points. The set of factors has been divided into two groups with conditional randomization to make the selection task manageable for respondents. The results showed that social safety, accessibility, and greenery were the most important groups of factors. The survey attracted many respondents and ProRail is advised to use the developed survey in the future. This method can also be applied to other complex design projects. Distributing a survey among future travelers should be combined with interviews with other important stakeholders. Residents' evenings already organized by ProRail can be used to discuss the factors from the survey further. ... Read more

Over the past decades, Dutch infrastructure projects have been delivered through various procurement and delivery models, each aiming to address recurring challenges related to uncertainty, complexity and fragmentation. While traditional and integrated contract forms have offered specific advantages, they have also been associated with persistent drawbacks, including high failure costs, increasingly adversarial client–contractor relationships, and a declining willingness of market parties to participate in projects. In response, public clients have increasingly explored alternative approaches to organising project delivery. One such approach is the two-phase procurement model, which seeks to involve contractor expertise earlier in the project lifecycle to improve predictability and risk management.

Despite its growing application, the two-phase procurement approach is not evaluated uniformly in practice. Stakeholders differ in how they interpret its core mechanisms and assess its outcomes. This study therefore analyses how stakeholders in Dutch infrastructure projects perceive and evaluate the two-phase procurement approach in relation to its intended objectives, with specific attention to how trade-offs are prioritised in practice.

The two-phase procurement approach can be positioned as a form of Early Contractor Involvement (ECI). Contractors are selected at an early stage primarily on qualitative criteria, after which design development and cost elaboration take place jointly in Phase 1. A formal Go/No-Go decision then determines whether the project proceeds to execution in Phase 2 under agreed conditions and a final price.

Using Q-methodology, this study identifies shared stakeholder perspectives based on the ranking of statements and subsequent factor analysis. Eight themes derived from the ECI literature guided the analysis: Capability, Collaboration, Culture, Innovation, Pricing, Risk Allocation, Transaction Costs, and Value for Money. The analysis reveals three distinct perspectives on the two-phase procurement approach.

Across these perspectives, there is broad consensus that the approach shifts key discussions on feasibility, risk, design and cost to an earlier stage. This is associated with reduced fragmentation between design and execution, improved buildability and more stable execution. Costs tend to increase during Phase 1 but remain more predictable during Phase 2, while transaction costs are redistributed rather than reduced. The perspectives diverge in how these effects are valued, particularly with regard to transparency, public client capability and bargaining power.
Overall, the study concludes that the two-phase procurement approach can enhance predictability and collaboration, but only under demanding conditions. Its effectiveness depends less on the model itself than on the capability and responsibility of both public clients and contractors in its application. ... Read more

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport aims to transform into a multimodal transport hub, addressing environmental pressures and airport capacity constraints by promoting a shift from short-haul flights to direct international rail services. Such a strategy could reduce greenhouse gas emissions, optimize airport capacity and improve regional accessibility. While other European airports increasingly integrate air and rail operations, Schiphol remains largely air-focused. The Dutch aviation sector faces ambitious CO₂ reduction targets, requiring a 30% cut by 2030. This study investigates feasible improvements to direct rail connections from Schiphol to six destinations: Brussels, Paris, London, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Berlin, assessing infrastructure, operational, institutional, regulatory and financial requirements, and evaluating societal impacts through a social cost-benefit analysis (SCBA). Two promising alternatives emerge: Eurostar Expansion on the Amsterdam-London route, increasing daily services via the new UK terminal and a Dual Service Model on the Amsterdam-Berlin corridor with hourly ICE L trains and reduced travel times.

Barrier analysis identifies regulatory, operational, governance and investment challenges, with cross-border staffing and regulatory constraints as the most urgent. SCBA results show substantial societal benefits, including reductions of over 240.000 short-haul flights, 39 million fewer air passengers, external cost savings of up to €2,5 billion and an increase of 66 million rail passengers. Financial feasibility is mixed: Eurostar Expansion reaches positive net present value under a pessimistic scenario, while the Dual Service Model remains costly. The study concludes that substituting short-haul flights with international rail is feasible and socially advantageous by 2030, even with limited infrastructure investment. Success depends on integrated governance, cross-border coordination and targeted policy interventions, while phased implementation and further research can support sustainable and inclusive transport strategies. ... Read more

Integrated Passenger–Freight Transport (IPFT) systems are increasingly proposed to improve efficiency, reduce emissions, and sustain service viability where conventional mobility options face pressure. Yet the conditions under which stakeholders are willing to participate remain underexplored. This study applies a mixed methods design to examine stakeholder evaluations of demand-responsive IPFT services. Two stated preference surveys were conducted in the Netherlands among passengers (N=166) and freight recipients (N=187), each combining rating and choice experiments. Comfort and delivery quality constructs derived from rating tasks were integrated into multinomial and panel mixed logit models. In parallel, five semi-structured interviews with public transport operators, logistics providers, and municipal actors were thematically analysed. Findings show convergence on spatial separation, predictable operations, and off-peak vehicle use, while divergences emerged over costs, staffing, service hours, and institutional responsibilities. The study shows that implementation requires stakeholder alignment and advances four scenario-based configurations to guide design and policy. ... Read more

The Netherlands faces an urgent environmental and infrastructural challenge in phasing out natural gas amidst rising grid congestion. District heating systems offer a promising alternative by enabling the collective use of sustainable heat sources, stabilising the electricity grid, and increasing resilience to market shocks. However, despite national ambitions to expand DH networks by half a million new connections by 2030, the sector is currently in decline, hindered by regulatory uncertainties, market volatility, and the voluntary nature of participation. Against this backdrop, this research investigates the conditions that define successful collaboration in the development and operation of district heating networks. Grounded in collaborative governance and purpose-oriented network theory, the study adopts a qualitative, multiple-case design. An analytical framework was developed by combining Ansell and Gash’s model of collaborative governance with Berthod’s processual view of network dynamics. This framework was applied to three Dutch DH cases involving municipal, private, and end-user actors. Data collection included a literature review, 13 semi-structured interviews across the case studies, and 4 expert interviews. The analysis explored stakeholder roles, phases of collaboration, key success factors, and process tensions that shaped outcomes.

The findings reveal that successful collaboration is not a static state but a dynamic process extending from network initiation to exploitation. A central contribution of this study is the definition of a meta-condition for collaboration: individual goals serve as preconditions, while the shared goal acts as a catalyst. This meta-condition helps explain both successful cases and the sector-wide stagnation, where misalignment of individual goals undermines collaboration, despite consensus on shared objectives. Three consistent key success factors emerged across cases: goal alignment, trust, and commitment. Furthermore, nine process tensions, such as inclusivity versus efficiency, or autonomy versus interdependence, were identified as levers for improving collaboration when recognised and managed early. To support this, the study introduces a practical tool: a set of discussion cards for early-phase project dialogue. Expert evaluation confirmed the tool’s conceptual value.

Theoretically, this study contributes to the understanding of tensions as dynamic mechanisms rather than static barriers and advances the literature on collaborative governance by highlighting the evolving nature of stakeholder goals. The findings are most applicable to Dutch single-system district heating systems involving public-private collaboration and municipal engagement. While limitations include survival bias and national context specificity, the research lays a foundation for future investigations into failed projects, longitudinal dynamics, and cross-country comparisons. By demonstrating how tensions can be purposefully addressed through proactive design, this study repositions tension management as a practical strategy for strengthening collaboration in the Dutch energy transition.
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Dutch public electricity grids are increasingly constrained by congestion, while public transport operators (PTOs) and municipalities manage public transport electricity infrastructures with substantial unused capacity. This thesis explores how these assets could contribute to congestion relief by connecting (third-party) energy applications, while safeguarding power quality and reliable public transport operations.

The study first identifies and characterises candidate application types and their integration-relevant properties that influence technical feasibility and grid impact. It then analyses the main legal implementation constructions and their practical implications (Installation, Cable Pooling, Closed System recognition, and Direct Line), and distinguishes Congestion Management as an alternative approach that can relieve congestion without adding new external connections. Expert consultations and stakeholder interviews and surveys are used to assess what matters most in practice, map stakeholder’s roles and their views, and to further clarify how the system functions and where misalignment occur.

Synthesising these outputs results in a structured system overview and shows that the current situation is complex. The sector lacks a shared system understanding, sufficient internal capacity and knowledge to execute the required tasks, and stakeholder alignment, which currently hinders effective and responsible deployment of the infrastructure; this is compounded by a narrowed focus on legal constructions. Differences in network architectures and governance settings, stakeholder involvement, and legal options strongly influence what is feasible and how projects must be organised. The primary contribution is therefore a consolidated synthesis that clarifies the system and provides practical guidance for organising the process, structuring stakeholder involvement, and strengthening relevant technical and legal knowledge.

Finally, the thesis provides an additional outline for a context depended modular MCDA-based prioritisation framework that can be developed to prioritise candidate applications. The recommended decision sequence starts with technical screening to avoid unacceptable operational risk and disproportionate impacts on the public transport electricity infrastructure, before societal objectives are evaluated. It ends with a legal assessment to select a viable and the least complex connection method. Overall, effective use of public transport electricity infrastructure for congestion relief is shown to be primarily an organisational and governance challenge. ... Read more

Pedestrianisation has increasingly become an important focus in station (area) redevelopment in the Netherlands. However, despite ample pedestrian attention such as through the Stationsagenda 2040, pedestrians are often the “soft matter” in governance processes and therefore overlooked. This thesis addresses the following research question: How can the Project Governance of station (area) (re)development increase inclusionary pedestrianisation efforts around Dutch railway stations?

The theoretical framework builds on the concept of Network Orchestration, originally developed to explain how network actors can facilitate collaboration across organisational boundaries (Dhanaraj & Parkhe, 2006; Reypens et al., 2021). Six orchestration roles—initiating, visioning, connecting, facilitating, monitoring, and legitimising—were examined in relation to pedestrianisation.

Using a case study of two station area redevelopment projects, Zuidasdok and Duivendrecht, though semi-structured interviews, it became clear that many network orchestration activities are already embedded in the projects’ organisation. While this is the case and some fragmentation between network actors is studied, the overall pedestrian quality is still perceived to be high in the reference projects. Additionally, the inclusion of a single focus orchestrator or pedestrian stakeholder is not desirable since no single stakeholder would adequately be able to represent the pedestrian correctly.

Three governance opportunities to support pedestrianisation emerged. First, limited municipal knowledge and reluctance from railway parties to act on municipal ground created a stalemate, which could be addressed by enhancing cross-project knowledge sharing. Second, improved national knowledge exchange could encourage resourceful actors to recognise the value of pedestrianisation, especially given its high costs in busy station areas and help create standards for implementing pedestrian visions. Third, early envisioning and knowledge sharing may bridge the gap between process and content, ensuring pedestrian goals are better integrated into the design.

Through the lens of Network Orchestration, this study creates an overview for practitioners and academia of the project network commonalities, stakeholder characteristics and which gaps still need to be filled when discussing the pedestrian in the context of station area redevelopment. ... Read more

The Overhead Catenary Line System (OCLS) is crucial for continuous electrical supply to trains in electrified railway networks. This article outlines the research conducted on the exploration of the sustainable design space of the Overhead Contact Line support structure on the main Dutch rail network. The research began with a comprehensive review of the literature on OCLS support structures, covering publications from 2013 to 2022. A multi-objective optimisation model is developed to explore sustainable design possibilities. Further result analyses elucidate the defining parameters and variables of the support structure design. The findings presented in this
research serve as a basis for more in-depth research on the discussion surrounding existing regulations and specifications and sustainability within the rail branch. ... Read more

The introduction of electric buses (EBs) is required in order to achieve global greenhouse emission goals. However, operating an electric bus fleet (EBF) requires careful consideration of both the mobility and energy systems in charging strategies. In literature and in real life many cases show careful consideration of only one of the systems and an oversimplification of the other, resulting in failed implementations. This paper focuses on the need for additional charging of EBs during the day using on-route opportunity charging during the on- and offboarding of passengers in residential neighbourhoods. This research aims to provide an integrated approach to bus service design, including both the mobility and energy systems. Additionally, this paper presents insights into the effect of traffic management on the feasibility of on-route opportunity charging. Two simulation tools are used for the integrated decision-making approach: SUMO and Gaia. The Simulation of Urban MObility (SUMO) software provides results regarding the energy consumption behaviour and charging needs of the EBs. Gaia provides results regarding the transformer load rate in the residential distribution grid. This paper proposes five strategies with a varying configuration of charging capacities, charging times and the introduction of traffic management via traffic priority. The five strategies are tested against three requirements: two from the mobility system and one from the energy system. The research presented uses a case study of bus line 36 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The results of this research show that residential neighbourhoods are often unable to handle chargers with the maximum capacity of the buses in the case study of 450 kW. A mid-range charger of 200 kW is possible in most cases. With a 200 kW charger, the on- and offboarding time of passengers is insufficient to complete daily operations. Therefore, additional charging time is necessary. Without the introduction of traffic priority, the timetable cannot be completed. With the introduction of traffic priority, travel time and energy consumption are reduced by 9.8% and 4.5%, respectively, and daily operations can be completed while satisfying the requirements of the mobility and energy systems. The results presented in this thesis suggest that an EB route design with opportunity charging is impossible without considering both mobility and energy systems simultaneously. From the mobility perspective, opportunity charging is feasible only if the charging infrastructure can meet the buses' energy needs without disrupting the schedule. From the energy perspective, it is essential that opportunity charging is implemented where and when sufficient charging capacity is available. The introduction of traffic priority allows for the satisfaction of all requirements and displays an example of the connection between mobility and energy systems. ... Read more

Urban Speed Limit Reduction (USLR) policies, aimed at enhancing road safety and reducing emissions, pose substantial implications for public transport (PT) operations. This study evaluates the impact of implementing a USLR policy in The Hague, Netherlands, reducing speed limits from 50 km/h to 30 km/h on select streets. A multimodal simulation model was employed to quantify changes in PT travel times, operational costs, and modal share. Results indicate a modest average increase of 1.2% in PT travel times, with corresponding timetable hours (TTH) rising by 0.9% and no increase in PT modal share. This would lead to elevated operational costs without increased ridership or revenue. On a city level, the modal share of bikes increases with 0,2% while the modal share of cars decreases with 0,2%. Locally, the results show changing trip destination choice, mode choice, and route choice to circumvent the USLR policy. The findings underscore the need for targeted mitigation measures, such as traffic flow optimizations and speed segregation, to offset increased costs and maintain PT efficiency. This research highlights the nuanced trade-offs of USLR policies, providing actionable insights for urban policymakers and transport operators. ... Read more

Capacity and performance (evaluated through delay propagation) analysis methods have mostly focused on railway line track sections, but less attention has been given to nodes. Still, a few analytical methods for the capacity and performance assessment of the switch areas between station platform tracks and line tracks can be classified upon their reliance on a timetable (“timetable-based” methods) or not (“timetable-free” methods). The relation between capacity utilisation and performance has rarely been tested for railway nodes, and critical capacity utilisation thresholds remain to be investigated. The comparison of timetable-based and timetable-free methods also needs to be conducted. Filling these knowledge gaps will help the French infrastructure manager SNCF Réseau improve its analyses of nodes capacity utilisation and performance in the long-term planning stages. This paper investigates a small set of timetable-based and timetable-free methods either taken and adapted from the literature, such as the Potthoff and UIC 406 methods, or developed for the need of this research, such as adaptations of the UIC method and a method developed from SNCF Réseau’s previous works. The methods are applied on a case study on the French network, first evaluating their indicators’ magnitude and trends with artificial traffic data, and then comparing their outputs to real data. It is found that the Potthoff method and a timetable-free UIC-adapted method for capacity utilisation evaluation and an SNCF-adapted method for delay propagation provided results that are relevant in terms of magnitude and trends for long-term assessment. The timetable-based UIC 406 method for node capacity utilisation assessment can be used to study specific timetables. No satisfactory timetable-based delay propagation method was found in this paper. The timetable-free methods are further used to study the capacity utilisation – delay propagation relationship, which takes the form of an exponential function. Attempts to determine capacity utilisation thresholds are also conducted. It is recommended to perform further research with extended traffic data on different node layouts to consolidate these preliminary findings before applying them in real studies. ... Read more

The transportation system in Israel is facing a crisis due to its heavy reliance on private vehicles. To shift towards sustainable mobility, improving public transport quality in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area is crucial. This research investigates the preferences of Tel Aviv citizens regarding transport projects aimed at enhancing public transport and encouraging alternative mobility methods. The study utilizes the Participatory Value Evaluation (PVE) method, where citizens curate their preferred project portfolio within a limited budget, assuming decision-making authority. The research also explores the face validity of PVE in Israel, considering the distinct governance perception in the country. This research provides valuable insights into Tel Aviv citizens' preferences for transport projects that enhance public transport quality and promote sustainable mobility. Through the application of PVE, the study reveals project preferences, face validity perceptions, and potential avenues for future research, contributing to the advancement of sustainable transport policies and decision-making processes in Israel. ... Read more

The establishment of a well-developed charging infrastructure is imperative for the broader adoption of Electric Vehicle (EV) and necessitates the formulation of an effective charging infrastructure policy. To navigate the intricacies involved in the policymaking process, the incorporation of EV charging models can be advantageous. Existing research indicates that models have a significant impact on facilitating policymaking in the broader energy sector. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether computer-based models exert a similar influence on the EV charging policies. Previous studies lack comprehensive insights into the practical application of models in EV charging policy processes and the resultant policy modifications due to the unique attributes of both EV charging models and policies. Furthermore, there exists a lack of systematic understanding regarding the utilization of charging infrastructure models. Given these gaps in knowledge, this research aims to investigate the following question: How does modeling evidence influence EV charging infrastructure policymaking in the UK and the Netherlands?
This study finds that EV charging models have exerted substantial influence across various stages of local policy cycles, significantly shaping decision-making processes. Such impact has pre- dominantly concentrated on the practical and operational aspects of the models, primarily concerning the optimal number and spatial distribution of charging points. However, there remains a noticeable lack of attention to strategic considerations pertaining to broader energy transition and green transport initiatives. This oversight is particularly evident in the insufficient exploration of how EV charging in- frastructure can be effectively integrated into a more extensive and long-term blueprint. This research highlights the need for a strategic-level approach to comprehend the interplay between EV charging networks and the larger energy transition agenda, encompassing themes such as renewable energy integration, smart grid compatibility and urban planning synergies. Consequently, policymakers and modelers should expand their planning of charging infrastructure to encompass the broader landscape and envision how EV charging models can harmonize with sustainable urban development, ensuring a cohesive and effective implementation within the overarching framework of environmental conservation and sustainable mobility. ... Read more

Urbanization, a desire for a reduction of CO2 and a need for a more efficient use of space are likely to greatly increase demand for rail travel in the coming decades. To improve railway capacity, extra infrastructure can be built, or existing track can be optimized. A silo analogy provides an interesting idea for an integral approach to network development that combines the demand of heavy-rail and bus, tram, and metro: either obtain more demand for the heavy-rail system and thus validate expensive infrastructural investments or reduce demand. Both options require a broadening of the analysis so that it includes bus, tram, and metro networks. To explore the practical implications of this analogy, the research question is set up as follows:
“Does integrated public transport network development in the form of a simultaneous consideration for infrastructural investment in both heavy-rail and hierarchically lower public transport modes offer a better solution for fulfilling transportation needs, compared to a segregated approach?”
To answer the research question, literature review has been used to gain insights in public transport integration from a technical and a governance perspective. Literature has also been used to form integration strategies that could be applied in network development. The formed strategies consist of using network hierarchy as a guideline for either applying bus, tram, and metro to take over lower hierarchy services from the heavy-rail and vice versa. A case study on the corridor Amsterdam – Lelystad in The Netherlands was used to apply the integration strategies on and to analyze the effects of the development following the different strategies in a real-life situation.
The results show that the variant following the strategy of assigning lower hierarchy services to heavy-rail appears best in terms of generalized travel time, synthetic demand, and investment costs. It scores well on fairness of the offer, but lowest on ambition fulfillment and operational costs. It turned out that each variant needed investment in more heavy-rail infrastructure to allow for completing of the heavy-rail ambitions. The variant with more tasks assigned to bus, tram, and metro scored the worst, except for ambition fulfillment. Furthermore, the multicriteria analysis, although useful for providing insights in the qualities of the different variants, does not give a definitive answer on what the best variant would be. Using external input to assign weights to the multicriteria analyses would have been a good improvement in getting to that answer. Instead, a stakeholder reflection is done to give insight in possible stances regarding the criteria from the stakeholder’s perspective.
The research suggests that it is worth considering ambitions and problems outside of just the bus, tram, and metro or just the heavy-rail system. The process of brainstorming based on expertise, using qualitative multicriteria analyses for making decisions with supporting arguments in the design phase, planning a plausible timetable and analyzing and comparing several variants forms a good skeleton for investigating the possibilities of public transport network development in places where heavy-rail capacity becomes problematic.
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