This report describes a model which could be used to evaluate inter-city passenger transport systems. The model can facilitate the rapid assessment of a transport system over a range of possible pairs of cities, varying in distance apart and in overall traffic levels, and also estimate the effects of possible changes in the transport systems serving an existing route. Given the total market for travel between two cities, the model estimates the demand for travel on each of a number of transport modes. The characteristics of new or existing systems, the routes over which they might operate, and the travellers who might use them are represented by a suitable set of parameters. These parameters are used as inputs to a model which consists of 3 sequential sub-models: a modal-split model which calculates the number of passengers likely to use each system, a fleet-size model which calculates the number of vehicles required on each system, and a costing model which calculates system costs and revenues and other quantities required for economic assessment. Any part of the model may be run as many times as desired, either alone or in combination with the other parts, so that the effect of any variation in the characteristics of the transport systems, routes or travellers may be estimated. (Author/publisher)
Abstract