Quantifying the Resilience of Rapid Transit Systems: A Composite Index Using a Demand-Weighted Complex Network Model

Research by: Hong En Tan, Jeremy Hong Wen Oon, Nasri bin Othman, Erika Fille Legara, Christopher P. Monterola, & Muhamad Azfar Ramli

Executive Summary

Cities are like bodies, and their transport systems are like veins – essential for health and growth. Think of subway systems, or what some call ‘rapid transit systems (RTS),’ as the major veins. They carry more people faster than buses can, and they don’t get stuck in traffic. This is great because it means fewer cars on the road, cleaner air, and faster travel times for everyone.

When these subways work well, they help people get around easier, boosting the city’s economy. With more cities growing bigger, these STS systems are becoming even more critical.

Let’s say there’s a problem or disruption in the STS – city planners must understand how much of an effect this would have. Based on four important factors, we’ve created a way to give subways a resilient score, like a health check-up. These factors look at the setup of stations, how many trains can run on different lines, and how many people use them.

We tested our scoring method using Singapore’s subway system. By doing this, we could see how changes, like adding new train lines, would affect the system. Our studies showed some interesting things. For example, if too many people start using the subway’s outer parts, it can make the whole system less sturdy.

Our scoring system can be used everywhere in cities to ensure their subway systems are as robust as possible.

To cite this article:  Tan, H. E., Hong, W. O., Othman, N. B., Legara, E. F., Monterola, C. P., & Ramli, M. A. (2022). Quantifying the resilience of rapid transit systems: A composite index using a demand-weighted complex network model. Plos One, 17(4), e0267222. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0267222

To access this article: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0267222

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