At many locations the Dutch railway infrastructure cannot cope with the increasing number of trains. Recently, alternative service concepts have been proposed as a solution to this problem. Instead of the usual combination of fast and stopping trains (the 'flighting' principle), the alternative service concepts are based on trains with similar total running times, with the result that the infrastructure can handle more trains per hour. The alternatives can be divided into the following three main concepts: (1) 'flex': each train stops between the main stations at just one local station; (2) 'alternate': an overlapping two train system, with each train stopping at every other station; and (3) 'zone': in a distinct area a train operates as a stopping service, but runs fast outside this area. These concepts allow higher frequencies, but not all passengers benefit from such alternative schedules. This is the case both for existing and for potential passengers. Which concept serves the passengers' needs best depends on the demand characteristics of the route (for example, a great deal of transit traffic and few local passengers). But in general optimisation of the present flighting model serves the passengers' needs best, although some small scale additions to the infrastructure are likely to be essential for further optimisation. (A) For the covering abstract of the conference see ITRD E206647.
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