IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jaitra/v115y2024ics0969699723001692.html

Air–rail timetable synchronisation: Improving passenger connections in Europe within and across transportation modes

Author

Listed:
  • Buire, Clara
  • Marzuoli, Aude
  • Delahaye, Daniel
  • Mongeau, Marcel

Abstract

This study addresses the integration of the railway and airline scheduling problems, in order to offer passengers smooth transfers between rail and air. This paper focuses on optimising the air and rail timetables at 18 major European airports including three hubs and their associated train stations. A multimodal passenger demand simulation, using constraint programming and based on real data, is proposed. A typical week, from Monday to Saturday, of December 2019 is analysed. Ten passenger demand simulations are run for each day, resulting in 60 test instances that are publicly released. The air–rail timetable synchronisation is applied to these 60 instances. Three scenarios are tested in which each operator agrees to change its schedule or not. Results show that changing the schedule of only 13% of European flights by 11 min, and half of trains scheduled to stop at the three hubs of 17 min, on average, could increase the number of suitable connections for passengers by 60%. In addition, if both airlines and railway operators adapt their schedules, passenger comfort is improved and operator costs are reduced, even more so than with unilateral changes.

Suggested Citation

  • Buire, Clara & Marzuoli, Aude & Delahaye, Daniel & Mongeau, Marcel, 2024. "Air–rail timetable synchronisation: Improving passenger connections in Europe within and across transportation modes," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jaitra:v:115:y:2024:i:c:s0969699723001692
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2023.102526
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969699723001692
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2023.102526?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

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chiambaretto, Paul & Baudelaire, Clément & Lavril, Thibaut, 2013. "Measuring the willingness-to-pay of air-rail intermodal passengers," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 50-54.
    2. Danesi, Antonio, 2006. "Measuring airline hub timetable co-ordination and connectivity: definition of a new index and application to a sample of European hubs," European Transport \ Trasporti Europei, ISTIEE, Institute for the Study of Transport within the European Economic Integration, issue 34, pages 54-74.
    3. Veldhuis, Jan, 1997. "The competitive position of airline networks," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 181-188.
    4. Burghouwt, Guillaume & de Wit, Jaap, 2005. "Temporal configurations of European airline networks," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 185-198.
    5. Guillaume Burghouwt & Renato Redondi, 2013. "Connectivity in Air Transport Networks: An Assessment of Models and Applications," Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, University of Bath, vol. 47(1), pages 35-53, January.
    6. Jiang, Changmin & Zhang, Anming, 2014. "Effects of high-speed rail and airline cooperation under hub airport capacity constraint," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 33-49.
    7. Xia, Wenyi & Zhang, Anming, 2017. "Air and high-speed rail transport integration on profits and welfare: Effects of air-rail connecting time," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 181-190.
    8. Peter Knoppers & Theo Muller, 1995. "Optimized Transfer Opportunities in Public Transport," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(1), pages 101-105, February.
    9. D’Alfonso, Tiziana & Jiang, Changmin & Bracaglia, Valentina, 2016. "Air transport and high-speed rail competition: Environmental implications and mitigation strategies," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 261-276.
    10. Givoni, Moshe & Banister, David, 2006. "Airline and railway integration," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 13(5), pages 386-397, September.
    11. D’Alfonso, Tiziana & Jiang, Changmin & Bracaglia, Valentina, 2015. "Would competition between air transport and high-speed rail benefit environment and social welfare?," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 118-137.
    12. Burrieza-Galán, J. & Jordá, R. & Gregg, A. & Ruiz, P. & Rodríguez, R. & Sala, M.J. & Torres, J. & García-Albertos, P. & Cantú Ros, O.G. & Herranz, R., 2022. "A methodology for understanding passenger flows combining mobile phone records and airport surveys: Application to Madrid-Barajas Airport after the COVID-19 outbreak," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    13. Vansteenwegen, P. & Oudheusden, D. Van, 2006. "Developing railway timetables which guarantee a better service," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 173(1), pages 337-350, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Yingzhi & Jiang, Xiushan & Ma, Jihui, 2025. "Optimizing air-HSR intermodal service considering trade-offs in duration at airport: A game analysis in a vertically structured transport market," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    2. Yang, Huijuan & Delahaye, Daniel & O’Connell, John Frankie & Le, Meilong, 2024. "Enhancing airline connectivity: An optimisation approach for flight scheduling in multi-hub networks with bank structures," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    3. Lee, Enoch & Huai, Yue & Lo, Hong K. & Zhang, Anming, 2025. "Flight scheduling and pricing with high-speed rail coopetition and delay uncertainty," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    4. Wang, Yingzhi & Jiang, Xiushan & Yin, Chuanzhong, 2025. "Airport subsidy for air-HSR intermodal service in a multi-airport system: Direct amount vs. discount," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).

    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. Jiang, Changmin & D'Alfonso, Tiziana & Wan, Yulai, 2017. "Air-rail cooperation: Partnership level, market structure and welfare implications," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 461-482.
    2. Wang, Yingzhi & Jiang, Xiushan & Ma, Jihui, 2025. "Optimizing air-HSR intermodal service considering trade-offs in duration at airport: A game analysis in a vertically structured transport market," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    3. Avenali, Alessandro & D’Alfonso, Tiziana & Reverberi, Pierfrancesco, 2025. "Airline-High speed rail cooperation, hub congestion, and airport conduct," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    4. Zhang, Anming & Wan, Yulai & Yang, Hangjun, 2019. "Impacts of high-speed rail on airlines, airports and regional economies: A survey of recent research," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 1-19.
    5. Zhu, Zhenran & Zhang, Anming & Zhang, Yahua, 2018. "Connectivity of intercity passenger transportation in China: A multi-modal and network approach," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 263-276.
    6. Xia, Wenyi & Jiang, Changmin & Wang, Kun & Zhang, Anming, 2019. "Air-rail revenue sharing in a multi-airport system: Effects on traffic and social welfare," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 304-319.
    7. Wang, Kun & Xia, Wenyi & Zhang, Anming & Zhang, Qiong, 2018. "Effects of train speed on airline demand and price: Theory and empirical evidence from a natural experiment," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 99-130.
    8. Redondi, Renato & Birolini, Sebastian & Morlotti, Chiara & Paleari, Stefano, 2021. "Connectivity measures and passengers’ behavior: Comparing conventional connectivity models to predict itinerary market shares," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    9. Lenaerts, Bert & Allroggen, Florian & Malina, Robert, 2021. "The economic impact of aviation: A review on the role of market access," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    10. Avenali, Alessandro & Bracaglia, Valentina & D'Alfonso, Tiziana & Reverberi, Pierfrancesco, 2018. "Strategic formation and welfare effects of airline-high speed rail agreements," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 117(PA), pages 393-411.
    11. Zhu, Feng & Wu, Xu & Cao, Chengxuan, 2021. "High-speed rail and air transport competition under high flight delay conditions in China: A case study of the Beijing-Shanghai corridor," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    12. Alessandro Avenali & Tiziana D'Alfonso & Alberto Nastasi & Pierfrancesco Reverberi, 2019. "High-speed rail and air transport integration in hub-and-spoke networks. The role of airports," DIAG Technical Reports 2019-09, Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering, Universita' degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza".
    13. Su, Min & Luan, Weixin & Fu, Xiaowen & Yang, Zaili & Zhang, Rui, 2020. "The competition effects of low-cost carriers and high-speed rail on the Chinese aviation market," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 37-46.
    14. Wang, Yingzhi & Jiang, Xiushan & Ma, Jihui, 2025. "Emissions reduction of air transport and high-speed rail with policy intervention considering the modal competition in a network market: Environment and welfare implications," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 379-395.
    15. Wang, Wei & Sun, Huijun & Wu, Jianjun, 2020. "How does the decision of high-speed rail operator affect social welfare? Considering competition between high-speed rail and air transport," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 1-15.
    16. Xu, Guangming & Gong, Yiling & Zhong, Linhuan & Zhu, Dan & Liu, Xinyi & Deng, Lianbo, 2025. "To purchase or to sell: Capacity agreement in high-speed railway and airline cooperation," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 84-105.
    17. O’Connell, John F. & Bueno, Oriol Escofet, 2018. "A study into the hub performance Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways and their competitive position against the major European hubbing airlines," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 257-268.
    18. Wang, Yixiao & Sun, Luoyi & Teunter, Ruud H. & Wu, Jianhong & Hua, Guowei, 2020. "Effects of introducing low-cost high-speed rail on air-rail competition: Modelling and numerical analysis for Paris-Marseille," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 145-162.
    19. Seredyński, Adam & Rothlauf, Franz & Grosche, Tobias, 2014. "An airline connection builder using maximum connection lag with greedy parameter selection," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 120-128.
    20. Sun, Jingcong & Zhou, Xiang & Han, Ruiling, 2026. "Flight wave identification and spatiotemporal connectivity analysis of air route networks in Chinese hub airports," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:eee:jaitra:v:115:y:2024:i:c:s0969699723001692. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-air-transport-management/ .

    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.