IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/pubtra/v15y2023i2d10.1007_s12469-022-00319-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Reinforcement Learning approach for bus network design and frequency setting optimisation

Author

Listed:
  • Sunhyung Yoo

    (University of New South Wales (UNSW))

  • Jinwoo Brian Lee

    (University of New South Wales (UNSW))

  • Hoon Han

    (University of New South Wales (UNSW))

Abstract

This paper proposes a new approach to solve the problem of bus network design and frequency setting (BNDFS). Transit network design must satisfy the needs of both service users and transit operators. Numerous optimisation techniques have been proposed for BNDFS in the literature. Previous approaches tend to adopt a sequential optimisation strategy that conducts network routing and service frequency setting in two separate steps. To address the limitation of sequential optimisation, our new algorithm uses Reinforcement Learning for a simultaneous optimisation of three key components of BNDFS: the number of bus routes, the route design and service frequencies. The algorithm can design the best set of bus routes without defining the total number of bus routes in advance, which can reduce the overall computational time. The proposed algorithm was tested on the benchmark Mandl Swiss network. The algorithm is further extended to the routing of express services. The validation includes additional test scenarios which modify the transit demand level on the Mandl network. The new algorithm can be useful to assist transit agencies and planners in improving existing routing and service frequency to cope with changing demand conditions.

Suggested Citation

  • Sunhyung Yoo & Jinwoo Brian Lee & Hoon Han, 2023. "A Reinforcement Learning approach for bus network design and frequency setting optimisation," Public Transport, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 503-534, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:pubtra:v:15:y:2023:i:2:d:10.1007_s12469-022-00319-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s12469-022-00319-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12469-022-00319-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12469-022-00319-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ahmed Tarajo Buba & Lai Soon Lee, 2019. "Hybrid Differential Evolution-Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm for Multiobjective Urban Transit Network Design Problem with Homogeneous Buses," Mathematical Problems in Engineering, Hindawi, vol. 2019, pages 1-16, December.
    2. Jiaqing Wu & Rui Song & Youan Wang & Feng Chen & Shubin Li, 2015. "Modeling the Coordinated Operation between Bus Rapid Transit and Bus," Mathematical Problems in Engineering, Hindawi, vol. 2015, pages 1-7, March.
    3. Szeto, W.Y. & Jiang, Y., 2014. "Transit route and frequency design: Bi-level modeling and hybrid artificial bee colony algorithm approach," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 235-263.
    4. Farahani, Reza Zanjirani & Miandoabchi, Elnaz & Szeto, W.Y. & Rashidi, Hannaneh, 2013. "A review of urban transportation network design problems," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 229(2), pages 281-302.
    5. Roca-Riu, Mireia & Estrada, Miquel & Trapote, César, 2012. "The design of interurban bus networks in city centers," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 46(8), pages 1153-1165.
    6. Mandl, Christoph E., 1980. "Evaluation and optimization of urban public transportation networks," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 5(6), pages 396-404, December.
    7. Soto, Guillermo & Larrain, Homero & Muñoz, Juan Carlos, 2017. "A new solution framework for the limited-stop bus service design problem," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 67-85.
    8. Ibarra-Rojas, O.J. & Delgado, F. & Giesen, R. & Muñoz, J.C., 2015. "Planning, operation, and control of bus transport systems: A literature review," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 38-75.
    9. Ceder, Avishai & Wilson, Nigel H. M., 1986. "Bus network design," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 331-344, August.
    10. Duran-Micco, Javier & Vermeir, Evert & Vansteenwegen, Pieter, 2020. "Considering emissions in the transit network design and frequency setting problem with a heterogeneous fleet," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 282(2), pages 580-592.
    11. Buket Capali & Halim Ceylan, 2020. "A multi-objective meta-heuristic approach for the transit network design and frequency setting problem," Transportation Planning and Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(8), pages 851-867, November.
    12. J. S. C. Chew & L. S. Lee & H. V. Seow, 2013. "Genetic Algorithm for Biobjective Urban Transit Routing Problem," Journal of Applied Mathematics, Hindawi, vol. 2013, pages 1-15, December.
    13. Ahern, Zeke & Paz, Alexander & Corry, Paul, 2022. "Approximate multi-objective optimization for integrated bus route design and service frequency setting," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 1-25.
    14. Christina Iliopoulou & Konstantinos Kepaptsoglou & Eleni Vlahogianni, 2019. "Metaheuristics for the transit route network design problem: a review and comparative analysis," Public Transport, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 487-521, October.
    15. Javier Durán-Micco & Pieter Vansteenwegen, 2022. "A survey on the transit network design and frequency setting problem," Public Transport, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 155-190, March.
    16. Chen, Jingxu & Liu, Zhiyuan & Zhu, Senlai & Wang, Wei, 2015. "Design of limited-stop bus service with capacity constraint and stochastic travel time," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 1-15.
    17. Mohsen Momenitabar & Jeremy Mattson, 2021. "A Multi-Objective Meta-Heuristic Approach to Improve the Bus Transit Network: A Case Study of Fargo-Moorhead Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-25, September.
    18. El-Ghazali Talbi, 2016. "Combining metaheuristics with mathematical programming, constraint programming and machine learning," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 240(1), pages 171-215, May.
    19. Guihaire, Valérie & Hao, Jin-Kao, 2008. "Transit network design and scheduling: A global review," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 42(10), pages 1251-1273, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Christina Iliopoulou & Konstantinos Kepaptsoglou & Eleni Vlahogianni, 2019. "Metaheuristics for the transit route network design problem: a review and comparative analysis," Public Transport, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 487-521, October.
    2. Javier Durán-Micco & Pieter Vansteenwegen, 2022. "A survey on the transit network design and frequency setting problem," Public Transport, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 155-190, March.
    3. Evert Vermeir & Javier Durán-Micco & Pieter Vansteenwegen, 2022. "The grid based approach, a fast local evaluation technique for line planning," 4OR, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 603-635, December.
    4. Ahmed, Leena & Mumford, Christine & Kheiri, Ahmed, 2019. "Solving urban transit route design problem using selection hyper-heuristics," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 274(2), pages 545-559.
    5. Arbex, Renato Oliveira & da Cunha, Claudio Barbieri, 2015. "Efficient transit network design and frequencies setting multi-objective optimization by alternating objective genetic algorithm," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 81(P2), pages 355-376.
    6. Grolle, Jorik & Donners, Barth & Annema, Jan Anne & Duinkerken, Mark & Cats, Oded, 2024. "Service design and frequency setting for the European high-speed rail network," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    7. Ibarra-Rojas, O.J. & Delgado, F. & Giesen, R. & Muñoz, J.C., 2015. "Planning, operation, and control of bus transport systems: A literature review," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 38-75.
    8. Durán-Micco, Javier & Vansteenwegen, Pieter, 2022. "Transit network design considering link capacities," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 148-157.
    9. Abdulkerim Benli & İbrahim Akgün, 2023. "A Multi-Objective Mathematical Programming Model for Transit Network Design and Frequency Setting Problem," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-23, October.
    10. David Schmaranzer & Roland Braune & Karl F. Doerner, 2020. "Population-based simulation optimization for urban mass rapid transit networks," Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal, Springer, vol. 32(4), pages 767-805, December.
    11. David Canca & Belén Navarro-Carmona & Gabriel Villa & Alejandro Zarzo, 2023. "A Multilayer Network Approach for the Bimodal Bus–Pedestrian Line Planning Problem," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-36, October.
    12. Seda Yanık & Salim Yılmaz, 2023. "Optimal design of a bus route with short-turn services," Public Transport, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 169-197, March.
    13. Ahern, Zeke & Paz, Alexander & Corry, Paul, 2022. "Approximate multi-objective optimization for integrated bus route design and service frequency setting," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 1-25.
    14. Manser, Patrick & Becker, Henrik & Hörl, Sebastian & Axhausen, Kay W., 2020. "Designing a large-scale public transport network using agent-based microsimulation," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 1-15.
    15. Yiduo Huang & Zuojun Max Shen, 2021. "Optimizing timetable and network reopen plans for public transportation networks during a COVID19-like pandemic," Papers 2109.03940, arXiv.org.
    16. Cancela, Héctor & Mauttone, Antonio & Urquhart, María E., 2015. "Mathematical programming formulations for transit network design," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 17-37.
    17. Jose L. Walteros & Andrés L. Medaglia & Germán Riaño, 2015. "Hybrid Algorithm for Route Design on Bus Rapid Transit Systems," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 49(1), pages 66-84, February.
    18. David Schmaranzer & Roland Braune & Karl F. Doerner, 2021. "Multi-objective simulation optimization for complex urban mass rapid transit systems," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 305(1), pages 449-486, October.
    19. Philipp Heyken Soares, 2021. "Zone-based public transport route optimisation in an urban network," Public Transport, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 197-231, March.
    20. Mohsen Momenitabar & Jeremy Mattson, 2021. "A Multi-Objective Meta-Heuristic Approach to Improve the Bus Transit Network: A Case Study of Fargo-Moorhead Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-25, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:pubtra:v:15:y:2023:i:2:d:10.1007_s12469-022-00319-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.